Two wild elephants clash with each other in Karnataka’s Belur taluk

Panic struck the residents of Bikkodu village in Belur taluk on Sunday morning as two wild elephants engaged in a fierce fight within a residential area.

The elephants, named Bhima and Captain by the local people, came face to face and hit each other. One of Bhima’s tusks was broken and disjointed in the fight. Despite being terrified, some of the local people clicked photos and captured videos of the encounter from safe vantage points. One of the elephants reportedly smashed a polyethylene water tank placed near a house in the area.

The Elephant Task Force personnel, who were tracking the movement of the elephants, were also at the spot, and tried to drive the wild animals away from the village.

Sourabh Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests of the Hassan division, told The Hindu that fights between wild jumbos were quite common. They fight over territory, he stated. “As the fight happened in a human habitat, the local people were worried. Our staff have been tracking the elephants, both on the ground and with the help of drones. By afternoon, the elephants had moved to an acacia plantation,” the officer said.

The staff recovered elephant Bhima’s broken tusk from the spot.

Many wild elephants roam in parts of Sakleshpur, Belur, and Alur taluks of Hassan districts. Often, they raid agricultural fields, damaging the crop. Many people have also died in elephant attacks in the district.