Coimbatore : In a not-so-pleasing act, forest personnel of the Coimbatore Forest Range have taken a harsh move against elephants using earth movers to chase straying wild elephants in the Thadagam Valley here.
Coimbatore : In a not-so-pleasing act, forest personnel of the Coimbatore Forest Range have taken a harsh move against elephants using earth movers to chase straying wild elephants in the Thadagam Valley here.
A video of forest staff involved in elephant drives with earth movers went viral on social media. The video that was shot on Thursday shows how a herd of five elephants run hurriedly with the earth mover chasing them.
The video also shows a female elephant trying to hit back at the vehicle, in an attempt, getting hit.
While the act has been opposed by activists who claimed that it was inhuman, foresters of the Coimbatore Range have explained saying that the elephant getting hit was purely accidental.
“Foresters were trying to the drive the animals inside forest and the elephants have been roaming out during broad day light. Our staff sought the help of the earth movers as they were available. Yet, the hit was unfortunate as it was the elephant that attacked first,” said an official.
Meanwhile, the elephants were later guided back into the reserve later on the day.