Damage to a water pipe in a tomato field, noticed by residents of the area, led to rumours about the presence of elephants. This sparked panic among people living in villages in Bangarpet taluk, bordering forests in Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday.
Though no one said they saw the animals, the widespread assumption was that only elephants could have wreaked such damage to the water pipe.
People believe the tuskers could have entered Bathlahalli under Kamasamaudram State Forest area in Bangarpet taluk. It’s not uncommon for tuskers to enter Karnataka from adjacent Krishnagiri forests in Tamil Nadu.
“We are making all efforts to trace the elephants that might have strayed in to the forests on our side,” Bangarpet Range Forest Officer H. Chinnappaiah said.
The panic isn’t entirely out of place, as tuskers have entered the fields and caused extensive damage to crops in Bangarpet and Malur taluks in the last few years. Ten people have died in these two taluks in the past.