Udhagamandalam: Residents near Ooty's Fun City area have raised concern after a lone wild elephant that strayed into the vicinity has been roaming around for several days. Locals have urged the forest department to drive the animal back into the forest to ensure public safety.
Elephant's Movements and Monitoring
The elephant was first seen moving aggressively through Fun City on April 22. Since then, it has remained in forest patches near the neighbourhood for nearly two weeks. Forest officials said the elephant is generally calm and has not shown any intention of attacking people. They said the presence of water at Tiger Hill Dam and abundant grass in the surrounding area are the main reasons it has stayed there. Senior officials have been informed, and field staff are monitoring the elephant's movements round the clock.
A forest ranger said they expect the elephant to move on its own once the rains begin, and until then, officials will continue to closely monitor the situation.
Historical Context in Nilgiris
The Nilgiris forest range is a known habitat for tigers and elephants, but records from the past 250 years indicate that wild elephants rarely entered the Ooty-Doddabetta region. However, this changed last year when a wild elephant strayed from Coonoor, moved through Ketti, and reached Doddabetta. A similar incident occurred again earlier this year when another lone tusker arrived last month and roamed near the Doddabetta peak viewpoint. Tourist entry to the peak was temporarily banned until the elephant moved away.
Local authorities continue to advise residents to remain cautious and avoid approaching the elephant. The forest department has set up additional monitoring posts and is using drones to track the animal's location. Officials have also deployed barrier teams to prevent the elephant from entering residential areas.
