Following crop raids and damage to a few homes in Pakana in Gudalur taluk by a herd of elephants, five kumkis were pressed into service to chase away the animals into the forests of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve by the Gudalur forest division in the Nilgiris on Wednesday.
Forest Department officials said that the herd of wild elephants had been causing a nuisance to many local farmers and people, who had appealed to the department to chase away the elephants. The kumki elephants, Wilson, Mudumalai, Wasim, Shankar and Jambu, were pressed into service.
More than 100 anti-depredation squad members are also involved in the operation that is expected to be completed by Wednesday night.
The elephants were reported to have been attracted to human habitations nearby due to the ripening of jackfruits in the area.