COIMBATORE: A female elephant and its calf, which were part of a herd of 14 wild elephants, damaged the steel rolling shutter of a ration shop at Theethipalayam near Perur in Coimbatore district in the early hours of Tuesday, and ate the rice. Meanwhile, the other elephants damaged crops in the locality.
Forest officials said the incident occurred around 2am on Tuesday. A mother elephant and its calf broke open a portion of the shutter, put its trunks through the gap and pulled out the gunny bags with rice. Some residents who noticed the herd alerted the forest department, after which field staff rushed to the spot. Villagers said the elephants pulled out gunny bags containing ration rice, dal, wheat and sugar. The provisions were found scattered in front of the ration shop. The other elephants in the herd damaged standing crops in the locality.
Officials from Madukkarai forest range said a herd of eight elephants were already roaming at Ayyasamy Hills near Madukkarai on Tuesday night. Another herd of 14 elephants was spotted in the locality. “These elephants are crop raiders. However, the mother and its calf often raid ration shops or tiled houses in search of rice,” an official said.
The forest department’s field staff attempted to chase the elephant herd into the reserve forest. However, the 14 elephants and another herd of eight elephants camped near Ayyasamy hills near Madukkarai on Tuesday night. The forest department has now deployed two teams to monitor the wild elephants.
