Madikeri: A herd of wild elephants damaged standing paddy crops and uprooted areca nut and coffee plants at Kaikeri village near Gonikoppal, affecting eight families dependent on the fields for their livelihood.The elephants also entered a pond near the fields, damaged its embankments and moved into dense forest adjoining the agricultural land near Guddemane Eranna Colony.Villagers said wild elephants entered the region every year, but the damage this time was immense. They alleged that the forest department staff had been informed two days earlier that elephants were being spotted even during the day, but no appropriate action was taken.Plantation owners Vokkaligara Vasu and Pranesh alleged that forest department personnel merely arrived near the fields, chased the elephants a short distance and left. They said repeated requests to drive the herd back into the forest had yielded no results.The villagers said the elephants had taken shelter in the adjoining forest and frequently ventured into agricultural areas. They demanded that the herd be driven back into the forest as a permanent solution.
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