Shivamogga: It’s almost been a month-long struggle for 60 forest staffers who are monitoring the movement of three elephants that are causing trouble in four forest ranges in the Sagar forest division in Shivamogga.The elephants, mostly roaming in Soraba taluk, have destroyed paddy and pineapple crops. The forest department personnel are struggling to keep tabs on the movement of elephants that are changing direction of their movement.A herd of five to six elephants is in Shettihalli sanctuary in Shivamogga, which otherwise were frequently seen in Bhadra Tiger Reserve. Earlier, two elephants were sighted near Soraba where they took shelter. A week earlier, a tusker escaped the eyes of Arasalu and Choradi ranges staff, crossing Ambigola range on the border of Sagar and Soraba.Forest staff are worried after failing to drive back two elephants, now there’s a fresh entry of jumbos, mounting pressure again.According to staff from the Shiralakoppa range, another tusker is moving in another direction. It crossed the Soraba border from Anavatti range and reached Hamsabhavi, which comes under Byadagi range of Haveri forest division. The elephant’s journey through Heremagadi, Hanchi, and Ginivala forest provides material for a fresh study on elephants using the old corridor connecting Chikkamagaluru to Dandeli in Uttara Kannada district.Elephants aren’t just troubling farmers but also forest staff. In every range–Sagar, Soraba, Shiralakoppa–forest staff guard the elephants in two or three shifts, preparing meals in villages. One staff member told TOI they’re blindly following higher officers’ orders, and some under-officers are even paying from their own pockets.According to experts, the Sagar division is stopping the elephants from moving further due to worries about crop damage in Siddapura, Sirsi, and Yallapura.Speaking to TOI, DCF from Sagar forest division, D Mohan Kumar, said they should drive them back to Shettihalli forest.In Malnad, paddy harvesting is under way, and standing sugarcane crops may be destroyed by the elephants.
