Elephant herds have been crossing the Mysuru Highway at places close to Hasanur in the Dhimbam -Pulinjur stretch with less human disturbance in recent days.
Tension prevailing in the border area has reflected in stoppage of entry of vehicles of one State into the other. Vehicles bearing Tamil Nadu registration are stopped at Dhimbam check-post on the Tamil Nadu side, and those with Karnataka registration are not permitted beyond Pulinjur check-post on the Karnataka side of the border.
As such, crossing by elephant herds is not unusual during dry months since the animals seeking to quench thirst utilise a water hole close to the Highway that is being filled by the Forest Department regularly. The elephant herds are indeed able to move about without human disturbance caused by frequent movement of vehicles, District Forest Officer of Hasanur Division C.H. Padma said.
Though vehicles registered in other States are permitted in both directions, their numbers are much less when compared to those of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.