A 14-member herd of wild elephants on Sunday paralysed normal life in several villages of V. Kota mandal, close to Karnataka border. The herd destroyed crops in vast stretches and charged at the milling crowd of villagers, who surged into the fields to drive away the animals.
The jumbos, which entered the mandal at Kummaramadugu village in the early hours of the day, passed through the fields located at Kummaramadugu, Venkatepalle, Danamaiahgaripalle, Chintalagunta and Maddiralla.
Close to dawn, a large number of villagers from these places converged at Edaguriki village, knowing that the herd was camping in the fields.
When the irate villagers tried to drive away the animals into the nearby forests, the pachyderms tried to charge at them, creating panic and forcing the villagers, who included women with children in arms, to run helter-skelter.
The police from V. Kota rushed to the spot and tried to dissuade the people from handling the risky situation without the guidance of the elephant trackers.
After a two-hour pandemonium, which almost led to cordoning off the wild animals, the situation subsided with the elephants crossing the Palamaner-Hosur National Highway and entering the forest cover.
Jumbo strays
Meanwhile, an adult tusker, which strayed from the 14-member herd, created a ruckus at Danamaiahgaripalle, trampling tomato fields, flower gardens and pulling down branches at a mango orchard.
The fear-stricken tusker, which was chased by the villagers, barged into a poultry farm and damaged a moped and a van.
The forest staff, along with the elephant trackers, brought the situation under control.
The villagers heaved a sigh of relief after the herd and the separated tusker moved into the forests.
The villagers are still in the grip of fear as they apprehend the return of the wild herd.
