Madikeri: The threat posed by wild elephants has intensified in Kadanur village of Virajpet taluk over the past two days, causing concern among residents. With the onset of the rainy season, elephants venturing out of the forest in search of food have been frequently spotted in coffee plantations and agricultural fields.Villagers noticed a herd of about 11 wild elephants camping in a field in Kadanur village and alerted the forest department. On receiving the information, forest officials rushed to the spot and assessed the situation.An operation led by DRFO Raghava was launched, and the elephants were successfully driven back into the forest. Villagers have urged the authorities to implement effective measures to reduce human-elephant conflict and ensure adequate protection for the lives and property of farmers.Meanwhile, a herd of wild elephants broke through the solar-powered electric fence installed around a coffee plantation owned by Jyoti Ponnappa near the Govt Higher Primary School in Guhya village. The elephants entered the plantation, camped there, and went on a rampage, damaging coffee plants and destroying a water tank on Friday.Forest staff and members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), under the guidance of Virajpet range forest officer Shivaram, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.
