Wild Elephant Sighting Near Ujire College Triggers Panic in Belthangady

Resident panic gripped parts of Belthangady taluk after a wild elephant was spotted roaming in the forested patch adjacent to a private college campus in Ujire. The unexpected presence of the solitary jumbo near student pathways and residential areas raised significant safety concerns among local citizens, farmers, and college staff. The sighting occurred close to human habitations, prompting immediate alerts to local authorities. Upon receiving reports from panicked residents, forest department officials alongside members of the local Elephant Task Force (ETF) arrived at the scene to assess the situation. Frontline forest personnel initiated quiet monitoring of the elephant's movements to prevent it from wandering deeper into populated streets or agricultural fields. The team employed standard forest management techniques to safely guide the animal toward the dense forest reserve connected to the Western Ghats range. Human-wildlife conflict remains an ongoing concern for residents across the foothill villages of Belthangady taluk. Frequent movement of elephants from adjacent reserve forests into plantations and habitations often results in crop damage and heightened threats to public safety. Local residents have urged the forest department to maintain continuous patrolling and deploy early-warning systems around educational campuses and active agricultural pockets in Ujire to avoid hazardous encounters.