A lone tusker has claimed a stretch of road between Munnar in Kerala and Udumalpet in Tamil Nadu, forcing unsuspecting travellers to scramble for cover.
Two shop owners going to open their shop near the Lakkam waterfall near in the Pampan Mala area were in for a nasty surprise on Saturday morning. Ranjith and Edwin dropped their motorbike and fled the area as the wild elephant charged at them in the early hours.
The elephant ventured into the interstate highway by 6 am after roaming through the tea plantations in the previous night.
Tourists going back to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka after an outing in Munnar were also stranded on the highway. Most of them were caught unaware of the beast’s presence on the road.
Wild elephants are venturing on to the roads after a brief interlude, spreading panic among the local population and the tourists.