Krishnagiri: The migratory season of wild elephants have begun with the entry of 40 wild jumbos that entered the Jawalagiri forest range here from neighbouring Karnataka, keeping the forest officials in tenterhooks.
The family of 40 elephants after entering Krishnagiri forest region, a few days ago, has split into three small groups. Of them, 12 elephants, made their way to Hosur.
In the early hours of Sunday, the pachyderm was spotted at Podurpallam village, bordering Sanamavu reserved forest, near Chennai-Bengaluru national highway of Hosur in Krishnagiri district.
A team of forest officials have camped at Podurpallam to watch the movement of the herd. They have been asked to alert the commuters using the national highway if the jumbos try to cross the busy road to reach Shoolagiri forest ranges.
Sources said, the migration season of wild jumbo begins in October and continues till November. By March-April they return to Bannarghatta wild life sanctuary from where they moved out in Karnataka.
The elephants move out of the Karnataka forest despite efforts of the 'Elephant task force (ETF)' formed as directed by the High court of that state, to prevent man-animal conflicts in villages in the elephant corridor.
Karnataka's ETF has divided the elephant habitat into three zones as conservation zone, elephant-human coexistent zone and elephant removal zone.
In the conservation zone, the Karnataka forest department has formed elephant-proof trenches to stop the wild animals moving out of its forest area.
The damage in the conservation zone, which according to the officials was caused by farmers who send their livestock into the forest for grazing, allows the wild elephants to enter into the villages.
Similar issue was reported in Krishnagiri, where the forest department has dug elephant-proof trenches to the length of 250 kilometers to prevent wild elephants entering villages.
Besides, stone wall fencing was created at places where elephant- proof trenches cannot be formed. The forest officials have asked the villagers not to damage the elephant-proof trenches and also not to get involved in elephant
chasing activities if the wild animal was spotted at their place.
