Haliyal: A wild tusker chose to take a stroll right in the middle of Haliyal town on Friday morning. Residents and morning walkers, who saw the elephant walking on the road, made way by locking themselves inside their homes and compounds.

The tusker roamed through the main roads, residential areas and in front of Haliyal police station, tahsildar office and court building. Luckily, it did not harm anyone nor damaged properties.

 He walked gracefully, followed by a team of forest officials, who drove him to the forest area after two hours of efforts.

According to locals, the elephant came to the town around 5.30 pm on Friday and started walking on the middle of the road. The people who saw the elephant ran away from the spot and the residents locked themselves inside their houses.

 From last couple of days, multiple elephant sightings are being reported in and around the villages in Haliyal and Dandeli taluks. On Thursday morning, two elephants were spotted near Kulagi and on the same evening another elephant was spotted in a village near Haliyal.

It is said that the elephant is a sub-adult male and it was spotted in a village near Haliyal town on Thursday evening.

 “The elephant is healthy and has no injuries on its body,” said a forest official. After two-three hour efforts, the forest staffs successfully drove it towards Sambrani forest areas in Haliyal taluk. According to wildlife experts, they have been tracking the same elephant for the last one month and it was spotted in Kulagi about a month ago.

 After that, it was seen in between Haliyal and Dandeli forest area. Two days back, it was spotted at Havagi and it came to Haliyal town on Friday. It is a soft natured elephant and it has not harmed anyone in its journey through the human habitats. Haliyal Deputy Conservator of Forests Ramesh S said the elephant was calm and did not harm anyone.

“The department Staff with the Cooperation of other departments and public have successfully diverted the elephant outside the town. Now, the tusker is settled in Sambrani forest area,” he added. Is Dandeli become permanent home for elephants? About five-six decades ago, there were no elephants permanently settled in Dandeli forest area. It was just a corridor for elephants.

 The elephant herds were used to walk from Maharashtra forest through Khanapur, Dandeli, Yellapur, Sirsi, Siddapur and Sagar. The elephant corridor was upto Nagarahole. The elephants are seen only in winter seasons in and around Dandeli and after winter, no elephants would stay here. It is said after the construction of Badra water reservoir, elephant corridor was cut down and a big corridor chain missed. Dandeli forest is enriching of bamboo, which is favourite food for elephants.

 Therefore, elephants made Dandeli as their permanent home. Recalling old memories, S G Neginhal, retired forest officer, said: “I was in Haliyal from 1955 to 1958, but never were there elephants within a radius of 50 km. See how environs are changing now. Anyway it’s a sweet surprise. Salute the gentleman elephant.” Meanwhile, Minister R V Deshpande tweeted:

“Haliyal witnessed a majestic wild elephant as it walked into Haliyal town from the neighbouring forest”. He also posted a picture in which it shows elephant and a board which has Deshpande’s name written.