Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal
Bantwal, Aug 23: In a rare and captivating incident, two wild elephants were spotted cooling off in the Netravati river at Saralikatte in Perne, Bantwal taluk, sparking both curiosity and concern among local villagers.
The sighting followed a lull in the region’s heavy monsoon rains, and came after the elephants had wandered through nearby plantations on Friday night.
According to locals, the elephants roamed freely across several farmlands on Friday evening before being seen bathing in the river on Saturday morning.
Alarmed by their presence, villagers quickly informed the forest department. Acting swiftly, forest officials from Bantwal, Belthangady and Puttur rushed to the spot and kept close watch on the elephants’ movements until around 5 pm.
“Villagers were understandably frightened by the unexpected visit, especially after the elephants entered cultivated lands the previous night,” said a forest official. “However, the animals appeared calm and were enjoying themselves in the river.”
To safely guide the elephants back to their natural habitat, the forest department deployed teams along both banks of the river and used firecrackers to drive them away from populated areas. Locals reported that the elephants eventually moved from Saralikatte towards the Surya forest range. However, with darkness setting in by evening, their exact trail could not be confirmed.
ACF Subbaiya, RFOs Kiran and Raghavendra, Bantwal Range Forest Officer Sunil, DRFO Raviraj, and other forest personnel coordinated the operation on-site, assisted by local police and gram panchayat members. A large crowd gathered to witness the rare spectacle, forcing police to work hard to manage the swelling numbers and maintain order.
“This kind of elephant sighting is unusual in this part of the district,” said a grama panchayat member. “While it was fascinating to watch, it also raised serious concerns about the safety of local people and the risk to crops,” the member added.
The forest department has assured continued monitoring of the area to prevent further encounters and to ensure the elephants remain in forest territory.