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According to Hosur District forest Officer Rajendiran to Express, a tusker and makhana was trying to cross Chettipalli Reserved Forest to Sanamavu Reserved Forest by crossing Krishnagiri to Hosur National Highway. At that time a SETC bus from Kumbakonam to Bengaluru was on the way and when nearing Shoolagiri on wee hours it hits the pachyderm when crossing it. Due to which makhana elephant was injured and received fracture on its back leg and hence it was planned to transport to Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, ” he said.
Similarly, passengers of the bus was escaped without injuries and due to the incident, injured elephant was lied on road for few hours. On information forest and police department rushed to the spot and using cranes it lifted and shifted to the lorry and was taken to Gopachandram nursery to give first aid.
The elephant is transporting to Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary via Bengaluru and Mysore.
Krishnagiri Collector C Kathiravan, State Animal Husbandry Minister Balakrishna Reddy, Conservator of Forest Ulaganathan rushed to the spot and urged the rescue work.
As Krishnagiri district is border of Karnataka, elephants from Bannerghatta Wild Life Sanctuary in Karnataka would frequently visit the district in search of food and water during migratory period of every year.
Collector Kathiravan said to Express, an Eco- bridge has planned to construct across reserve forests in Krishnagiri – Hosur National Highway to avoid the human – animal conflicts Forest department and National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has approved the plan and undergoing the preparation work and this could be first eco- bridge in India to cross elephants and other wild animals to avoid such accidents, he said.
It has to say that 8 elephants died in various accidents since 2003.
In 2003, five jumbos knocked down by train while crossing railway track at Periyanagathunai near Rayakottai. Similarly, in 2013 two more elephants died in the same place by hitting train while crossing the track.
In 2015, an elephant calf was mowed down by speeding car near Shoolagiri.
On this year January, a tusker was injured near Krishnagiri Collectorate while crossing the Krishnagiri – Hosur National Highway.