Beltangady: A wild elephant that entered the compound of a private engineering college in Ujire on Sunday morning was driven towards the forest area on the Charmadi side following a sustained operation by the Forest Department and the Mangaluru Elephant Task Force.

The elephant was spotted around 6 am after it entered the locality from a plantation near the college campus. Forest officials immediately began tracking its movements and took measures to prevent it from moving further into the college premises or towards Ujire town.

Elephant takes shelter near college hostel

The elephant entered the rear portion of the engineering college and took shelter in a forested area within the campus. At one stage, it was located around 100 metres from the college hostel building.

The presence of the animal caused concern as the college is surrounded by residential areas. Several houses are located nearby, while the national highway passes through the locality. Ujire town is also situated close to the college campus, increasing the possibility of the elephant entering a populated area if it moved away from the forested portion.

Forest personnel therefore concentrated on containing the animal’s movement and gradually directing it away from the college and towards the forest.

Forest officials launch coordinated operation

More than 20 Forest Department personnel took part in the operation, assisted by members of the Mangaluru Elephant Task Force.

Officials continuously monitored the elephant’s movements and attempted to guide it towards a safer direction. During the operation, three rounds were fired into the air and firecrackers were burst to scare the animal away from the populated locality.

The measures were aimed at preventing the elephant from approaching the college hostel, nearby houses or the highway. Personnel maintained close watch while attempting to ensure that the animal moved towards the forest rather than deeper into the surrounding settlement.

The operation continued for several hours as officials tracked the elephant and responded to its movements.

Elephant reportedly came from Uppinangady division

Beltangady Range Forest Officer Mahesh Devadiga said the movement of the wild elephant in the area was not unusual.

According to the officer, the animal had reportedly arrived from the Uppinangady division. Its movement into the Ujire locality was therefore being treated as part of its movement through the wider forest and plantation areas.

The presence of elephants in areas close to human settlements has remained a concern in parts of Dakshina Kannada, particularly where forested areas, plantations and residential settlements are located close to one another.

Elephant almost driven towards Charmadi forest

Forest personnel closely followed the elephant’s movements and succeeded in almost driving it towards the forest area on the Charmadi side, according to the range forest officer.

Officials are continuing to monitor the animal to ensure that it does not turn back towards the college campus or enter nearby populated areas.

The monitoring is considered important because elephants can change direction quickly, particularly when disturbed or when they encounter people and other activity. Forest personnel are therefore keeping track of the animal’s location and movement after the operation.

Officials continue monitoring

The immediate priority of the Forest Department is to keep the elephant away from the college, nearby houses and the highway and ensure that it returns to a forested area.

The coordinated response involving the Forest Department and the Mangaluru Elephant Task Force helped prevent the animal from moving towards the more densely populated parts of Ujire.

With officials maintaining surveillance, authorities are also expected to watch for any further movement of the elephant towards human habitation. Residents in the surrounding areas have been urged to remain cautious while the monitoring operation continues.

The incident once again highlights the challenges faced by communities located close to forest and plantation areas, where movement of wild elephants can bring animals into close proximity with people. For now, the Forest Department’s efforts have pushed the elephant towards the Charmadi side, while continued monitoring remains in place to prevent it from returning to the college campus or nearby populated areas.