Chennai, Mar 19 (IANS): The Coimbatore forest range office in Tamil Nadu has warned people of possible elephant intrusion as several elephants are in the areas bordering the forest lands.

The department alerted the local people residing in Colony Pudur, Katta Salai, Rayaruthupathi, Ati Mariamman Kovil, and CRPF camp in Periyanaickenpalayam Range, Kovai Pudur in Madukkarai Range, and Poothampalam in Mettupalayam Range.

The department has asked people not to sleep outside and not to come out of their homes in the wee hours of the morning and late nights.

The forest range also informed that from March 1 to March 16, there were 96 intrusions of wild elephants into human settlements during late hours and early mornings. The department said that the CCTV cameras that were placed on the borders of forest ranges had captured the movement of elephants.

A senior officer of the Coimbatore forest range told IANS, "The elephants had intruded around 96 times during the past fortnight but luckily not much damage has been done. We have warned the people who are staying around to be cautious and not to venture out at night through the areas bordering forests."

He said that during 2021, a farmer who was keeping guard at his agricultural farm was gored to death by wild elephants and that if people don't take proper care on the basis of information provided by the department, there could be difficulties.

Prasad Ramakrishnan, an avid elephant researcher told IANS, "The elephants lack water and food and they are reaching human settlements mainly for this. People should be wary of moving around at night and sleeping outside their homes in places that were given a red alert by the forest department. They are moving in herds and comparatively are less dangerous but may be on occasions things can turn for the worse."