By Team Mangalorean, Bangalore

BANGALORE, DEC. 6, 2007: The outskirts of Bangalore city today resembled an African Safari. A large herd of pachyderms roamed about freely trampling on the gardens, fields and chasing curious onlookers who came out of their houses. There were some calves also which were found in a bamboo grove near the village Jigani of Anekal Taluk in Bangalore Urban area. The herd lingered there for more than six hours since Thursday morning.

They then played in a water hole near the bamboo grove but the people weary of further destruction tried to chase them away making big noises, but the herd incensed at this ruckus started chasing the people.

The forest department officials who arrived on the spot took steps to arrest the further advance of the herd and they vacated all the people who had gathered in the area. They were finally successful in driving the elephants towards the Bannerghatta National Park area.

People from Krishnanadoddi and Malalingapura villages complained to the media and press people that the forest department had failed to maintain the solar fencing all along the elephant corridor, which was the reason behind the Elephants coming into the human habitation, they said. They even stated that the herd had damaged Ragi and Banana crops.