Elephant attacks ETF personnel near Sakleshpur village, latter have lucky escape

HASSAN: A wild elephant attacked Elephant Task Force (ETF) personnel at Mattur village in Sakleshpur taluk on tuesday. The personnel, who were monitoring movements of the elephant, narrowly escaped the attack by fleeing and leaving their two-wheelers behind.

The elephant damaged the bikes, and the personnel — Prasanna, Yuvaraj, and Dhananjay — escaped unhurt. The incident has sparked outrage among locals, who criticised the Forest department for not providing adequate protection to ETF personnel.

The Forest officials had not yet visited the site, adding to the locals’ frustration.