Gonikoppal: The villages of Kodagu district are grappling with increasing elephant attacks amidst heavy rains and flooding. In a recent incident, Kiriyamada Harish, a coffee estate manager, narrowly escaped death after an elephant attack in Balaji village near Gonikoppal. Harish, who works for Jammada Mohan’s estate, was ambushed by a wild elephant while walking through the plantation around 4:30 pm. Despite the frightening encounter, he managed to escape with minor injuries and is currently being treated for neck injuries at a local hospital. This incident has heightened concerns about the growing interactions between wildlife and human habitation in the region.
In another alarming event on July 25, a wild tusker destroyed a house in Kajoor village, Igoor Gram Panchayat limits, Somwarpet taluk. The elephant, which had been terrorizing the human habitats of Kajoor, Igoor, Yedavare, and Sajjalli for the past ten days, was being chased back into the forest by a Forest Department team. Enraged by the commotion, the tusker demolished the asbestos ceiling of a house owned by Vishwanath and damaged a shed housing a car and two bikes.
Navin Bopaiah of the Coorg Wildlife Society criticized the Forest Department for its ineffective approach to managing the crisis. He pointed out systemic failures in wildlife management, habitat preservation, and community engagement, which have led to numerous human and elephant fatalities, along with extensive crop and property damage. Bopaiah urged the Government to enhance habitat preservation, implement effective conflict mitigation measures, engage local communities in conservation efforts, and provide fair compensation for losses. He emphasized the need for a proactive, community-centric approach to resolve the ongoing crisis and protect both human and elephant lives.