MADIKERI: A heartbreaking incident occurred at Palangala village near Virajpet in Kodagu, where a wild elephant tragically fell into an under-construction open well and passed away.
The incident took place during the midnight hours on Monday when the elephant, searching for food, accidentally fell into the 32-feet deep well that was being dug under the Employment Guarantee Scheme at a private property. Despite efforts by forest department officials, including RFO Kallira Devaiah, to rescue the 18-20-year-old male elephant, the rescue operation proved unsuccessful during the night. Tragically, the elephant succumbed to its injuries early in the morning.
The tusker had been known in the area for its recent involvement in crop raids and had even damaged a vehicle prior to the incident. Villagers mourned the loss of the elephant, emphasizing the ongoing human-wildlife conflict in the region.
Virajpet DCF Jaganath acknowledged the challenges in managing elephant movements in hilly terrains and assured steps would be taken to mitigate such conflicts. The elephant was cremated at the accident site after the unsuccessful rescue attempts.