Madikeri: Farmers in Gonikoppal protested on Sunday against the forest department, accusing it of failure to stop attacks by wild elephants in Kodagu which have claimed many people’s lives and injured scores.The conflict between humans and wild elephants in Kodagu is intensifying day by day, and incidents of innocent lives being attacked by wild elephants have raised concerns. The elephant attack in Teralu village of Ponnampet taluk has once again brought the crisis to the fore, they stated. Tourists who had come to Kodagu were staying at a homestay in Teralu village. At this time, a wild elephant attacked a tourist, who had gone for a walk, and killed him.Expressing strong anger over this incident, the Kodagu district unit of the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association staged a protest with the aim of drawing govt’s attention. Farmers in Gonikoppal town formed a human chain and urged govt to find a permanent solution to the human-wild conflict.District Farmers’ Association general secretary Chetrumada Sujay Bopaiah, district convener Puchchimada Subhash Subbaiah, and labour leader Bharat, urged govt to take appropriate precautionary measures against movement of wild elephants, management of forest and effective measures for the safety of people.Meanwhile, near Nelli Hudikeri, a two-wheeler rider, who was crossing the road on Sunday, was forced to run for his life as there was a herd of elephants in the area.
