Beware travellers: Jumbos rule Ooty-Wayanad route as sun goes down

Nilgiris: A series of attacks on vehicles on the Ooty-Wayanad road has spooked travellers. Many say that elephant herds dictate traffic on all the routes at night. Recently, an elephant on musth attacked several vehicles at Eliyaskada en route to Gudalur from Sulthan Bathery. Another animal attacked a jeep of the Tamil Nadu forest department. The team was on night patrolling duty when the tusker attacked. The vehicle turned turtle when the officers tried to escape from the attack.

Many tourists travelling back from Ooty to Kerala have tasted the elephants' ire. Those who have witnessed the attack say the jumbos' preferred vehicle is a motorbike. Though there were reports that a jumbo had attacked a Sulthan Bathery-bound KSRTC bus, the Tamil Nadu forest officials denied it. However, the KSRTC sources told Onmanorama that though there was a minor attack, it was not reported officially as such incidents were regular for vehicles plying on the route.

The tusker camped at the Eliaskada area threatens vehicles that negotiate the curvy roads towards Gudlaur and Ooty. But forest staff are keeping a close watch on the animal whenever it moves closer to the highway, sources said. According to Ravi, a driver of Cherambadi, many tuskers charge at vehicles but the drivers use their experience to avoid a clash. "The vehicular movement through all the highways linking Kerala with Ooty through Gudalur -- the Nilambur-Nadukani-Gudalur route, Sulthan Bathery-Pattavayal-Gudalur route and the Cherambadi-Pandalur-Gudalur route -- are under the constant threat from roaming elephant herds," he added.

Gudalur DFO Venkitesh Prabhu, however, denied the alleged regular attacks, saying there were only isolated incidents. "The other day one tusker which used to roam around Eliyaskadai, Pandalur, attacked one of our patrolling vehicles which had a narrow escape, though the vehicle turned turtle", he said. "For this animal, it was the first incident", he said. “ We watch watch the elephants closely. Whenever they enter human habitats and farmlands, the field staff guide the animal back to the forest", he said.

According to the forest officials, the area has two problem elephants. One is CT 16 at Cherambadi and another is PT 12 at Pandalur. "All the elephants in the Gudalur division are profiled and their movements are closely tracked," he said. The official also warned the public against fake videos doing rounds on social networking groups, spreading fear among people about animal attacks.