Kumki elephants on patrol to save Wayanad's Muthumari villagers from wild jumbos

Amid much hue and cry from the residents of Muthumari village over the recurring crop raids by elephant herds, the North Wayanad Forest Division has launched border patrol with the help of two Kumki elephants from the Muthanga elephant camp.

The Kumki elephants Unnikrishnan and Bharath, deployed to drive away the wild elephants, reached the on Thursday morning and have started patrolling.

Villagers from Muthumari, the hamlet adjacent to the forest zone of the Begur Range of the North Wayanad Forest Division laid a siege to the office of North Wayanad DFO a few days ago demanding action to drive away wild elephants.

''As there are private plantation plots abandoned by the owners due to some legal issues, it is tough for us to execute preemptive measures,'' said North Wayanad DFO Martin Lowell. The villagers of Muthumari are a worried lot and the farmlands have been abandoned for the last many days as people were afraid of elephant attacks.

The forest department has decided to act fast as O R Kelu, the Minister for 'Scheduled Caste' and 'Scheduled Tribes' Development who hails from the Tirunelli panchayat, intervened in the issue.

On Wednesday a Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the forest department, started patrolling the forest border. According to Baby Master, the ward member of Muthumari, the threat from roaming elephant herds increased this monsoon.

The residents hope that once the hanging fence, now sanctioned by the government, is completed, the menace will be over. Minister Kelu has sanctioned Rs 24.75 lakhs from his MLA fund and another Rs 21 lakhs from the Wayanad package for fencing.