Wild elephants cause scare in Belagavi district, villagers complain of damage to crops

Teams of the Forest Department are trying to drive wild elephants away from crops in Khanapur taluk in Belagavi district of Karnataka.

Officers, with the help of local farmers, had been conducting night-long combing operations for the past few days to drive a herd of elephants, currently roaming the Khanapur forest sub-division, back into the wild. Driving back the elephants, which have been roaming through paddy fields and damaging crops, has become a challenge for forest officials. The officials have gathered details from farmers whose crops were destroyed.

Deputy Conservator of Forests N. E. Kranthi has appealed to people against shouting, approaching the animals, bursting firecrackers, or attempting any risky action without informing forest officials. “Efforts are underway to successfully guide the herd back into the forest,” he said.

Villagers and officers have spotted at least nine elephants.

“We have spotted a total of nine elephants, including two calves. Two of the elephants have separated from the main group. Seven were found near the paddy fields of Pali village while two were spotted near Abanali village. The herd may have migrated here in search of food from the forest areas of Haliyal, Castle Rock, Jagalpet, Tinai Ghat, and Ganeshgudi,” Assistant Conservator of forests Basavaraj Valad stated. “This is the first time a herd of elephants has been sighted in the Belagavi forest division. We are keeping watch on the herd using drones and by deploying forest staff,” he said.

Teams led by Mr. Valad and Range Forest Officer Sayyadsab Nadaf conducted an all-night operation and confirmed the herd’s presence in the paddy fields of Pali village, within the Bhimgad Wildlife Zone. The elephants have been moving through Pali, Hemmadaga, Abanali, Dongaragaon, and Shiroliwada in the Khanapur sub-division.

Forest officials team up with villagers to drive a herd of wild elephant away from crops in Khanapur in Belagavi district at night on September 16, 2026.
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

On September 16 night, a lone tusker, two calves, and four other elephants were sighted near Pali village. Officials attempted to chase them away using firecrackers and other noise-making devices, but the elephants moved erratically along the edges of the paddy fields instead of returning to the forest, creating a difficult situation for the authorities.

Officials enlisted the help of local villagers to track the movements of the herd.

Motorcyclists fled in fear after spotting the elephants near a forest road near Pali village in the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary. By the time forest personnel arrived, the herd had left the spot, officers said.