A wild elephant that got separated from its herd during a driving out operation by Forest Department on Sunday night at Theethipalayam village near Coimbatore attacked an anti-poaching watcher (APW) on Monday, June 13, 2022.
The female elephant in distress, after being chased using fire crackers, charged at people and Forest Department staff who came on its way.
The APW, G. Nagaraj attached to Madukkarai forest range, suffered injuries on knee and thigh.
S. Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests (Coimbatore circle) and Field Director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, said that APW’s condition was stable.
“The elephant pushed the APW and the staff who were along with him saved him by chasing the animal”, he said.
Mr. Nagaraj was taken to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for treatment.
Coimbatore District Forest Officer T.K. Ashok Kumar said that different teams led by two forest range officers were monitoring the strayed elephant and driving it back to the nearest forest area.
The elephant was part of a six-member herd which strayed into Theethipalayam village on Sunday night. The herd raided crops of farmers in the village and damaged a house in search of eatables like rice and millets.
While five elephants were driven back to the forest by Monday morning, one female elephant got separated from the herd. It roamed through Theethipalayam, Kalampalayam and Annai Velankanni Nagar.
Forest Department staff advised residents in the localities not to venture out as the strayed elephant was moving around.
The staff chased the elephant with patrol vehicles, fire crackers and an earthmover. The elephant was driven back to a reserve forest area by noon.
