Elephant strays into highway, knocks down parked car

Bengaluru: People out early Friday morning on the city's outskirts near Kumbalgod on the Bengaluru-Mysore Highway had the scare of their lives when a cow elephant wandered down the busy road,  ramming into a parked car and then  a wall in her way.

By the time forest teams arrived at the spot, the elephant had marched to the next forest patch in Savangdurga. The lone cow elephant may have gone in search of food or a mate, according to urban DCF,  O Palaiah. He however found it strange that the elephant was all by herself like a tusker.

"People in the neighbourhood have been advised to be cautious, especially at night. A number of students live here and are often seen wandering on the road with their phones. They need to be careful," the officer said.

"There is a stream nearby and the whole area is  a part of what used to be an elephant corridor," explained a forest official. While in the past nearly 25 elephants crossed the highway, fewer were seen venturing out now, according to him. "Its best to ensure that these elephants are restrained inside the Bannerghatta forest and  not allowed to move in this direction," he added.

Not only have elephants from the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) been seen crossing the Mysore-Bengaluru highway near Kumbalgod on their way to Tumkur and beyond in the recent past, but at least 10 people have  been killed in elephant attacks in Tumkur district over the last five years.

 "The Bengaluru-Mysore highway will soon be upgraded and metal barriers placed  on the main highway to make it impossible for the elephants to cross," assured some forest officials.