Lone tusker blocks road in Belur village, locals risk lives to shoot videos

HASSAN: A lone tusker, which has created fear among locals, was spotted on the road near Vatehalli in Belur taluk on Saturday, as a result of which traffic was affected for some time. The tusker was caught on CCTV camera moving near the village past midnight.

Even as the tusker, called as Karadi, was blocking the road, some people risked their lives getting off their vehicles to shoot videos of the elephant on their mobile phones. The elephant had recently killed a labourer, identified as Vasantha, and had attacked four others.

The tusker has created fear in several villages of Belur taluk and locals have demanded the Forest Department to relocate it. But the officials haven’t been able to do anything as the elephant is believed to be in ‘musth’. The elephant task force (ETF) has stopped keeping track of the elephant as it has been moving from one village to another.

Till about a month ago, the tusker was in the forest, but has now started entering villages. Farmers fear going to their fields in the evenings while women and children dread stepping out. They have demanded that the Forest Department take immediate action to relocate the elephant.