Elephant enters Erode village creating panic among residents

A lone elephant that strayed out of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve entered Kongahalli village in the Thalavadi hills of Erode district creating panic among residents on Tuesday (December 2, 2025).

The elephant, which reportedly lost its way, roamed through several parts of the village for nearly 30 minutes. Raising alarm, the villagers ran to safety as the animal moved nervously through the streets. Villagers later joined together, burst firecrackers and made loud noises to drive the elephant back into the dense forest. The incident triggered tense moments in the village in the morning.

In a separate incident, farmers of Arulvadi village, located in the hill region along the Tamil Nadu–Karnataka border, are living in fear as herds of wild elephants continue to roam through agricultural fields during the early morning hours. The herd, migrating from forest areas in Karnataka, has been entering farms at night and destroying crops. Farmers claim that the repeated incursions have caused heavy losses and they have urged officials of the Jeerahalli Forest Range to drive the animals back into the dense forest across the border.

Forest Department officials said it is currently the elephant migration season, during which herds move in large numbers from Karnataka to the hilly regions of Thalavadi. Farmers have been advised to stay alert, and motorists travelling at night have been cautioned to exercise extreme care. Officials added that the movement of the herds is being monitored continuously.