Madikeri: The two elephants that had entered the main roads of Madikeri early yesterday morning have returned to the forests last night.

Forest Department officials did not spot the pachyderms since last evening and they walked up to eight kilometres into the forests in their attempt to chase the elephants away.

Tension prevailed in Madikeri yesterday morning as two wild elephants strayed into the town and damaged the compound wall of MLA K.G. Bopaiah’s residence. The elephants from Siddapura and surrounding forests at Dubare entered Madikeri town from National Highway 275, triggering panic among local residents.

Morning walkers spotted the elephants at around 4 am loitering near Sudarshan Circle, Chain Gate and Mans Compound and they immediately informed the Forest Department.

The elephants got confused as the vehicular movement started and they started to run helter-skelter. Yesterday, there were a sizable number of tourists as it is a weekend leading up to the New Year.

Tourists and residents tried to shoo away the pachyderms by screaming. This irritated the elephants further and they started to run even faster and in the melee damaged compound walls and flower pots of many houses. They also entered the gardens and ate the vegetation and plantain trees in the area that is owned by retired principal Kokkalera Rekha Kalaiah and Advocate Subbaiah.

Forest Department officials attempted to chase the elephants but the efforts were in vain. Disoriented and unable to find their way back to the woods, the elephants later camped at a burial ground for a while. Some residents burst crackers to drive them away. The elephants then proceeded towards the Mangaluru Road.

Surya Sen, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Madikeri, said he received the call around 4.30 am and immediately alerted his staff. “This is a common phenomenon in Kodagu and our focus was to attend to any complaint immediately so as to minimise human fatalities,”    he added.

He said that one of the elephants was aged 55 and the other about 22-years-old. It is suspected that the elephants crossed the Cauvery River and entered Siddapura, where there are a few herds in the estates. “There were six elephants in the herd, of which only two entered the main road and stayed put for some time,” he said.

It may be recalled that in 2003, a wild tusker had entered Madikeri and was camping in the forests around Aranya Bhavan, Sampige Katte for over two months. It was later captured and sent to an elephant camp.