Elephant attacks house at night in Sakleshpur village, family has lucky escape

HASSAN: A family at Kesaguli village in Sakleshpur taluk had a providential escape after a wild elephant broke their front door and attempted to enter the house on Tuesday night.

The neighbours created noise to scare away the elephant.

Labourer Mallesh and his family have been living in the house for some years now. Around 10.30 pm on Tuesday, a wild elephant suddenly attacked their house, breaking the front door and attempting to enter. The scared family ran helter skelter.

When the neighbours raised a racket and started screaming, the elephant damaged the neigbour’s window and the shutters of an adjacent shed.

The damaged shutter of the adjacent shed.

Mallesh said, “This is the fourth time that elephants have damaged our house. Last month, the portico pillars were damaged. Despite several requests, Forest Department officials are not taking any action. Farmers are also facing problems as elephants are damaging crops. If this continues, we will be forced to vacate.”

Mallesh, the house owner, says the Forest Department has not taken any action to tackle the elephant menace.

His son Mohan said, “The elephant menace has increased and this time, the damage is more. Earlier, they used to damage crops, but now they are damaging houses. We cannot live peacefully because the Forest Department is not taking any action.”

The elephant has been camping in the area since a month and has been targeting houses. Just three days ago, the elephant targeted the house of one Yogesh and broke the window glass.

The villagers are living in fear due to the elephant menace and have sought early solution to the problem.

An elephant knocking down a signboard while running into a coffee estate.

Meanwhile, at Malasavara village in Belur taluk, an elephant, which was crossing a road along with its young one, knocked down a signboard while running into a coffee estate after locals raised a noise to scare it away.