This Wednesday, a herd of eight elephants has devastated over 1,100 banana trees at Varapalayam near Thadagam. According to sources, the animals entered the farmland after midnight. The farmer alleged that Forest Department staff did not turn up to drive away the animals despite being informed about it.
One farmer said she had grown plantains on one acre, of which 1,100 were damaged by the elephants. “Elephants usually enter the farmlands from the nearby forest located 1.5 km away. This is the first time the animals damaged so many plants, causing us a loss of over Rs 100,000.”
A Forest Department official said they received information only after the animals were already driven away. In another incident, two forest staff were injured when the vehicle they were driving overturned while driving away elephants at Mukasimangalam near Alandurai.
Source: newindianexpress.com