Elephants invade agri lands in KR Pet taluk Public Library of Science, Phys.org December 4, 2024 See link <https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/elephants-cause-devastation-in-kr-pet-taluks-agricultural-lands/articleshow/116017499.cms> for photo. Mandya: For the past five days, KR Pet taluk in Mandya district has been grappling with a crisis as a pair of wild elephants continued to invade agricultural lands and damage crops including paddy, sugarcane, maize, and plantain. The elephants were initially spotted on the islands of KRS backwaters on the Mysuru-Mandya border before making their way through Yeraganahalli, Mathikere, and, most recently, Hariharapura village, located just 3km from KR Pet town. According to range forest officer (RFO) MV Anitha, the elephants are not native to this area and have travelled a considerable distance, reportedly leaving HD Kote 25 days ago. "Their unexpected presence in a non-elephant corridor made the task of guiding them back to their natural habitat exceptionally challenging," the officer said. Over 75 forest officials, including a specialist team from Mysore's Elephant Task Force, were deployed to manage the situation. The team is working tirelessly to monitor and guide the elephants back into the wild. "Elephants are rarely seen in KR Pet, as we do not have any elephant corridors in this area except for the one in Malavalli. Senior officials, including conservator of forest (Mysuru Circle) Malathi Priya, are closely monitoring the developments," said RFO Anitha. The tahsildar and deputy commissioner have also been informed about the developments. The forest department is making all efforts to resolve the situation peacefully. With the involvement of expert teams, authorities remain hopeful that the elephants will be safely guided back into the forest soon. Meanwhile, residents and farmers await relief from this ongoing turmoil. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/elephants-cause-devastation-in-kr-pet-taluks-agricultural-lands/articleshow/116017499.cms