Jumbo's clever manoeuvre to steal food shocks residents of Padanthorai in
Nilgiris
The New Indian Express
November 23, 2021
Recently, social media was abuzz with a video of a wild elephant casually
climbing over a railway barricade in Nagarahole. It is no surprise that
wild elephants are clever. Some of the mother elephants even express
human-like emotions when their calves die.
In a similar display of brain and brawn, a makhna elephant made a hole on a
wall just big enough to put his trunk in a kitchen of a house at
Padanthorai in Nilgiris on Monday, November 21, 2021, and ate rice and
groceries.
Usually, wild elephants damage the entire house in order to get a taste of
rice. However, this makhna elephant has outsmarted the rest.
This incident happened despite forest department staff were engaged in
night patrolling in a nearby area. Two makhna elephants managed to enter
the residential area in Padanthorai, while one of them made a hole in the
wall of the house owned by one Arjun.
After noticing the animals, the inhabitants of the house rushed out and
took shelter in their neighbour’s house and informed the forest department.
"Two makhna elephants are roaming together and damaging houses to taste
rice and grocery. Sometimes, they are joined by another elephant. This
elephant in particular was attracted by the smell of rice and has been
damaging the houses where the rice bags are stored. We have named him
Arisiraja. Due to the frequent movement of these jumbos, we are scared to
venture out during the night, said Sekar, a resident of the Chelukkady
village.
"This incident happened a week after we staged a protest at Padanthorai
Bazaar demanding the Gudalur forest division officials to drive away the
elephants. It is not a few weeks, but the animal has been causing damage
for a few months now,” he added. Sekar said they would live a peaceful life
if they were chased away and if the officials prevent the animals from
entering human habitation permanently.
Gudalur Forest Range officer Ganesan told TNIE, that kumkis would be
deployed to chase the elephants away into the wild again.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/nov/23/jumbos-clever-manoeuvreto-steal-foodshocks-residents-ofpadanthorai-in-nilgiris-2386860.html
Jumbo's clever manoeuvre to steal food shocks residents of Padanthorai in
Nilgiris
The New Indian Express
November 23, 2021
Recently, social media was abuzz with a video of a wild elephant casually
climbing over a railway barricade in Nagarahole. It is no surprise that
wild elephants are clever. Some of the mother elephants even express
human-like emotions when their calves die.
In a similar display of brain and brawn, a makhna elephant made a hole on a
wall just big enough to put his trunk in a kitchen of a house at
Padanthorai in Nilgiris on Monday, November 21, 2021, and ate rice and
groceries.
Usually, wild elephants damage the entire house in order to get a taste of
rice. However, this makhna elephant has outsmarted the rest.
This incident happened despite forest department staff were engaged in
night patrolling in a nearby area. Two makhna elephants managed to enter
the residential area in Padanthorai, while one of them made a hole in the
wall of the house owned by one Arjun.
After noticing the animals, the inhabitants of the house rushed out and
took shelter in their neighbour’s house and informed the forest department.
"Two makhna elephants are roaming together and damaging houses to taste
rice and grocery. Sometimes, they are joined by another elephant. This
elephant in particular was attracted by the smell of rice and has been
damaging the houses where the rice bags are stored. We have named him
Arisiraja. Due to the frequent movement of these jumbos, we are scared to
venture out during the night, said Sekar, a resident of the Chelukkady
village.
"This incident happened a week after we staged a protest at Padanthorai
Bazaar demanding the Gudalur forest division officials to drive away the
elephants. It is not a few weeks, but the animal has been causing damage
for a few months now,” he added. Sekar said they would live a peaceful life
if they were chased away and if the officials prevent the animals from
entering human habitation permanently.
Gudalur Forest Range officer Ganesan told TNIE, that kumkis would be
deployed to chase the elephants away into the wild again.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/nov/23/jumbos-clever-manoeuvreto-steal-foodshocks-residents-ofpadanthorai-in-nilgiris-2386860.html