Hanagodu: A wild elephant is battling for life as it fell into a drainage when villagers and Forest Officials were attempting to drive it back to the woods. Stuck in the drain, the elephant can neither move nor get up. Department officials are trying to get a tamed elephant and an earth mover to lift the trapped pachyderm. 

The incident occurred early this morning in the surroundings of Kolave Ramalingeshwara Temple near Hanagodu coming under Nagarahole Tiger Reserve limits. The place has official quarters of the Forest Department and the entire area is fenced with Railway tracks. As it would be convenient for entry and exit, the Department officials had made a passage by cutting the railing fence. 

Last night, the wild elephant ventured into the fields through this entry gate and after having a sumptuous meal on the fringes of villages, it could not find its way back into the forest. Spotting the elephant at 6.30 am today villagers alerted the Forest Department. Soon, Department officials, mahouts and villagers began chasing the elephant. 

Seeing the crowd, the panicked pachyderm ran towards the other end and in the process, it fell into a concrete drainage at Muduganoor Hosakere. Fortunately, the drainage was big enough to squeeze in the elephant. But the elephant got stuck and it cannot move                     even a bit. 

The pachyderm attempted to wriggle out of the drainage a couple of times but failed. In a desperate attempt, it repeatedly trumpeted as if to seek help from the rest of its herd who were on the other side of the fence. 

Having hit a dead end, officials were contemplating to get tamed elephant Gopalaswamy and an earth mover to lift the elephant. Officials are camping on the spot to rescue and drive the elephant back into the jungle. They are hoping that the elephant has not sustained fracture while falling into the ditch.