People seek protection as wild elephants roam around villages

With the menace of wild elephants continuing in some villages on the city outskirts, despite the presence of two kumkis (trained tuskers), the panic-stricken residents today submitted a memorandum to the District Collector, seeking protection to their lives and property.
A herd of elephants, numbering around 20, has been moving around Veeraliyur, Uliyampalayam, Deenampalayam and Kuppepalayam and destroying crops besides damaging houses for the last few days. A 55-year old man was trampled to death a week ago.
The villagers were living in fear of attack by the elephants at any given time, they said.
As the kumkis were taking their position, a female rogue elephant entered Uliyampalayam last night and damaged the maize crop.

Forest officials burst crackers and with the help of some villagers, scared away the elephants to the forest area, after toiling for three hours.
However, the female elephant surfaced again around 2.30 AM and damaged the roof of the house of one Rangasamy and consumed the rice there. The inmates, however, managed to escape through the backdoor and took shelter in nearby house.