Karwar: An elephant delivered a calf on the middle of the road near the dam at Bommanahalli on Monday. The road falls within the elephant corridor area of Bhagavati reserved forest area of Haliyal taluk.
Soon after the delivery, the mother elephant went into the forest. But the calf went in opposite direction. The road was crowded with the pilgrims and the vehicles returning from Ulavi Jatra festival. Seeing the people, the baby elephant panicked and ran towards the forest.
An enraged mother elephant which retuned to the spot, charged at the people who ran helter-skelter. The mother elephant gave vent to its anger at the electric poles and the two-wheelers parked in the area. Soon after hearing the news, the Forest Department officials stopped the traffic on Bhagawati-Bommanahalli and Ambikanagar route. On Tuesday, the mother elephant hesitated to take the calf with it and has been moving around in the forest without the calf. This has created apprehension among the wildlife lovers and the officials.
A herd of 10 elephants visited the spot where the calf was born and stayed with the calf till midnight on Monday.
On Tuesday, the calf fell into a trench and the Forest Department officials, who were trailing the calf, rescued it from the trench and let it into the forest. But the calf refused to go to forest and began following the Forest Department officials. The officials drove it into the Dandeli reserved forest. The road, which was closed on Monday, was reopened for traffic on Tuesday. It is said that about 35 to 40 elephants are in the area. To avoid the conflict between the elephants and the villagers, the Government has sanctioned the project Elephant which would help to protect the elephants, the forest officials said.
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