Elephant calf falls into massive pit dug by farmers in Hassan, rescued later

HASSAN: An elephant calf fell into a huge pit (khedda) dug by farmers on an estate land at Hosakoppalu village in Sakleshpur taluk on Monday. It was later rescued by Forest Department staff after much effort.

A herd of elephants destroyed crop on a farm land in Hassan.

Earlier, fed up with constant raids by wild elephants into farmlands and the inaction of the authorities, the farmers had dug a huge pit in an estate. The massive pit was covered with wooden poles and plastic and leaves and twigs had been spread over it to trap an elephant. On Monday morning, the farmers found an elephant calf trapped in the massive pit in the farm land.

The elephant calf had fallen into the pit on Sunday night itself. On receiving information, the Forest Department officials visited the spot and rescued the calf, aged about six years, with the help of an excavator. Even as the rescue operations continued, the mother elephant trumpeted from the other side of the coffee plantation in distress.

Sakleshpur Sub-divisional Officer Anmol Jain visited the farm land.

Sakleshpur Sub-divisional Officer Anmol Jain visited the spot and inspected the damage to crops from the herds of elephants in the area. The farmers requested compensation for the crop loss.

A herd of elephants was spotted near the Bikkodu-Madaghatta road in Belur taluk. More than 20 elephants with their calves passed the road and disappeared into coffee plantations. Motorists had stopped their vehicles and recorded the video on their mobile phones.