Provoked by Villagers, Jumbos go on Rampage (India)

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By Tushar A Majukar, The New Indian Express

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BELGAUM:  For the people of  Yarmal village in Belgaum taluk, Wednesday turned out to be a day of excitement and some tension.

 
When the villagers spotted two uninvited guests—two elephants that strayed from a herd of four—in the early hours, they grew excited. And some youths began clicking pictures and teasing the jumbos unmindful of the consequences.
 
Disregarding the warnings of the forest department officials, the youths burst crackers and pelted stones at the elephants. And the enraged jumbos attempted to attack them. Two youths and a policeman of Belgaum Rural Police Station, were injured in the attack.
 
Deputy Range Forest Officer N A  Nirvani said: “Though we had advised the villagers not to tease and provoke the elephants, they didn’t cooperate.’’
 
 Earlier, on learning about the elephants’ entry into the village, the  police and forest department personnel rushed there. They said these were the same two elephants which were spotted near Khanapur a couple of days ago. The jumbos had walked about 20 km through jungles to reach Yarmal.
 
The two elephants roamed through Sulga, Yallur and Rajhunsgad villages before reaching Yarmal.