Three injured as tusker attacks car in Chikkamagaluru

CHIKKAMAGALURU/MANDYA: Three people were injured when a tusker attacked a car at Belechanahalli in Kadur taluk of Chikkamagaluru on Thursday night.
Bharath, Sharath and Mohan, from Hosapete village in Kaduru, were travelling to Belechanahalli on Thursday night. They stopped their car at Kadur forest range. A tusker came and rammed the car from behind. Two of the injured have been admitted to Hassan District Hospital.
The elephants have been wandering in Kadur forest since the past four days.
Meanwhile, a herd of seven elephants including a calf from Shimsha forest have strayed into villages at Shivanasamudra in Malavalli taluk of Mandya, triggering panic among residents.
The elephants were spotted near Shimshapura village on Thursday night. They have been trampling paddy and sugarcane fields. The forest and police personnel are trying to drive them back to the forest.
A forest officer said the presence of a calf in the herd of elephants has made the operation to drive them back into the woods even more tricky and risky. “Elephants which are generally very sensitive tend to be more aggressive if their calves are accompanying them and will be ready to do anything to protect them,” the officer said.
Elephant dead
An elephant at Mathigodu Camp in Kodagu died on Thursday. It is suspected that Rajendra, the 65-year-old elephant, was let out for grazing on Tuesday morning. However, when the elephant did not return to the camp on time, the mahout and caretaker went looking for it in the forest. They found Rajendra seriously injured and lying in the forest area near the camp. It is suspected that the elephant got into a fight with another elephant. It was brought back to the camp and was being treated. It died on Thursday.