Puttur, August 1, 2025: A lone wild elephant, which has been terrorizing the residents of Puttur taluk's Madnoor village by causing agricultural destruction for several days, has now brought its rampage to the neighboring Keyyur village. The pachyderm was observed in broad daylight near a road in Keyyur on Thursday, significantly raising alarm in the community.
Originally causing havoc in Madnoor's Chakote area on Tuesday evening, the elephant proceeded to Keyyur and continued its destructive path. Throughout Wednesday night, it ravaged crops across Ilanthaje, Derla, and Etyadka regions in Keyyur. The following afternoon, the elephant made an appearance near a hill, adjacent to Vinayakumar Rai's home in Derla. The situation grew more precarious as it then approached a road in Nettala, Keyyur, before retreating to a hillside.
This ongoing series of incidents has instilled a profound sense of fear and unease among local residents and farmers, who are now anxiously awaiting a resolution to the problem.
Local authorities, including Puttur Sub-Division Assistant Conservator of Forests Subbaiah Naik, Puttur Range Forest Officer Kiran B.M., forest staff, Keyyur Gram Panchayat President Sharathkumar Madavu, members, and panchayat officials, visited the site and launched an operation to manage the situation.
Safety Measures and Awareness Drive
In an effort to safeguard the public, warnings were disseminated on Thursday evening advising residents of the Ilanthaje, Derla, and Nettala regions to refrain from using the Kattatharu-Ilanthaje-Nettala roadway. This precautionary measure follows the sighting of an elephant in the area.Forestry officials have taken proactive steps to manage the situation, focusing their efforts on guiding the elephant back to less inhabited zones. Their swift intervention underscores the commitment to minimize human-wildlife conflict and ensure the safety of local communities.
The authorities are conducting an awareness drive to inform residents about the necessary precautions to take during such encounters. This campaign aims to foster a harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a safe distance and reporting any further sightings to the relevant authorities.
The collaboration between local residents and forest personnel is crucial in effectively monitoring the elephant's movements and preventing any untoward incidents. The situation remains under close surveillance, with updates expected to be provided as the operation progresses.
Forest Staff’s Narrow Escape
In a tense situation reported from the Kattatharu-Ilanthaje road area, two forest personnel had a close brush with peril as they tried to drive an elephant away from A.K. Jayaram Rai's home. The duo, equipped with a rifle for their protection, gave chase to the animal on a nearby hill. Their pursuit took an unexpected turn when a firecracker echoed through the vicinity, causing the elephant to panic and charge down the hill directly at them. In a swift move to evade disaster, the staff members discarded their rifle and sprinted to safety, barely escaping the jumbo's path and averting what could have been a fatal encounter.(Image - Video Grab)
Keywords: Puttur, Keyyur, wild elephant, crop damage, forest department, Karnataka, human-wildlife conflict, tusker, agriculture, safety warning