4 coffee estate workers hurt in attempt to flee from elephant attack: Official

Four plantation workers were injured while trying to flee when a wild elephant attacked them while they were working in Bikkodu village, Belur taluk of Hassan district

Four plantation workers were injured while trying to flee when a wild elephant attacked them while they were working in Bikkodu village, Belur taluk of Hassan district, on Monday, officials familiar with the matter said.

The forest official said the elephant had probably separated from the Beeatamma herd and it continued to remain within the plantation, creating tension among workers and villagers (File photo)

Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Pulkith Meena said that the incident took place at around 10 am when the women were working on a coffee estate. The injured workers, identified as Netravati, Manjakshi, Akkamma, and Kathur, al l aged between 28 and 45, sustained injuries while trying to flee. They were promptly taken to the government hospital in Belur for treatment and are reported to be out of danger.

Meena said: “The forest officials had been conducting operations over the past three days to fit a radio collar on a rogue elephant in the area, issuing precautionary warnings to nearby villages. The elephant in question, a 34-year-old female, was successfully collared before the incident.”

“The elephant did not directly attack the women. It panicked, and in the commotion, the workers were injured,” he said.

Shankrappa Gowda, a local resident, highlighted the growing frequency of wild elephant incursions, attributing the problem to habitat loss. “Elephants often stray into plantations and villages in search of food. The forest department must take swift action to ensure safety,” he said.