Chikkamagaluru: The problem with wild elephants, once limited to only certain parts of Chikkamagaluru district, has now spread to other areas. While Mudigere, Chikkamagaluru, and Tarikere taluks were the ones initially affected, the worrying trend has now extended to Narasimharaja Pura, Koppa, and Sringeri taluks.Worse still, in recent months, jumbos were spotted even in areas where they were previously not seen, said Chandrashekar, a farmer from N R Pura taluk. In Chikkamagaluru division, within a span of five months, five cattle were killed, and 132 cases of crop damage were reported, with the forest department paying Rs 55.3 lakh in compensation. In Koppa division, since 2022-23, 697 crop-loss cases have been reported due to jumbo menace, with the department shelling out Rs 1.2 crore in damages. For the first time, there were reports of three elephants wreaking havoc in Sringeri taluk about a month ago. Last month, two elephants roamed the Maranakodige, Mouli, Besuru, Vaikunthapura, and Sharada Peetha Narasimhavana areas, destroying paddy fields and plantations. Later, they damaged plantations in Honagodu, Addagadde, Chitravalli, Kavadi, Hulimane, and Bilagadde. Two wild elephants were spotted in Koppa town on September 13, but they left without an incident. Elephant movements have been observed in the taluk for the past three years. In 2022, a 12-year-old rogue elephant was captured after it was spotted in Ylemadalu Estate, causing crop damage and triggering panic among residents. In 2024, an elephant was noticed in Handigodu. It was headed towards Melpal and Gadigeshwara, before retreating to the forests. Last month, an elephant from Sringeri was seen in Shanvalli village, but it couldn’t be spotted later. Last Friday, two elephants that came near the town returned via Belihalli.In Mudigere, farmers were severely affected by elephants, with Gonibeedu, Kasaba, Banakal, and Baluru hoblis taking the brunt of the blow as the jumbos ran amok. There were more than 50 elephants in Beetammanahalli and Bhuvaneshwari, along with an elephant that frequently attacked different areas of the taluk. Sringeri MLA T D Rajegowda said he had urged forest minister Eshwar Khandre to take necessary steps to rescue wild elephants that keep trespassing into human habitats.
