There was excitement among morning walkers in west Belagavi on March 1 when they saw a wild elephant moving slowly, stopping to eat grass by the roadside.
Someone called forest officials. The local police and forest officials stopped vehicles on roads, to ensure that the elephant did not face any hindrance. Commuters stopped at a distance and watched the majestic animal move.
The elephant was spotted at the intersection of Bauxite Road and Hindalga Road. The lone elephant walked along narrow lanes and the backyards of some houses.
Forest officials were of the opinion that the tusker was moving from Kakati forest to the jungles of Kowad, passing through villages like Alataga and Uchagaon on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border.
Some farmers were worried that the elephant may enter sugarcane fields along the Kolhapur road. But it moved in a diagonal manner, towards Uchagaon.