Six wild pachyderms spotted near Sullia town on Saturday returned to the Aletti, Medinadkka reserve forest range early on Sunday.
According to Ganapathi K, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Sullia, the group of elephants, a tusker, two adult females, two sub-adults and a baby elephant, returned to the reserve forest range after crossing the Payaswini at about 2 a.m. on Sunday.
He said that the Forest Department personnel were careful not to scare them much as they had come out of their natural habitat. The elephants more or less returned naturally.
“Local people cooperated well without disturbing and scaring them,” he said.
The elephants had been spotted at Bhasmadkka in the jurisdiction of Sullia town panchayat on Saturday. It is said that it was for the first time wild elephants had approached so close to Sullia town.
A year ago, in January first week of 2014 a wild elephant had been spotted amid agricultural fields near Kukke Subramanya in the same taluk. After having been spotted in Kollamogaru, Madapadi, the elephant made its way up to Guthigaru, Chanila, Mulubagilu, Kantila, Kamila before heading to Balpa reserve forest.
The elephants were spotted at Bhasmadkka in the jurisdiction of Sullia town panchayat on Saturday.