In Karnataka's Chikkamagaluru, Wild Elephant Roams On National Highway For 30 Mins

The National Highway 169 in Karnataka has been used by wild elephants for decades as part of their traditional route. The steady expansion of the highway has meant that they lead through the middle of the forest areas and affect these routes, which leads to an increase in accidents with vehicles driving too fast. Lately, more and more elephants have come from the forest to the road.

Recently, an elephant was spotted on the highway near the Kudremukh National Park in Kalasa Taluk. The elephant suddenly came out of the forest and was on the road for more than 30 minutes.

It is nothing new to see individual elephants for the people in Chikkamagaluru. This lonely caravan was travelling for half an hour. This made the drivers look forward with concern. They drove their vehicles to the side and filmed the elephant with their mobile phones. Later, the elephant crossed the road and went into the forest.

In another incident, a bus driver recently greeted a wild elephant in a very loving way by calling him “Anna” (big brother). The video shared by IAS official Supriya Sahu on Platform X (formerly Twitter) shows the heart-warming incident recorded at the Karapallam checkpoint near the border between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka in the Punjanur Mountains of the BRT Tiger Reserve.

In the video, one can see the bus approaching the stop and having an unexpected encounter with the wild animal. As the bus continued, an elephant appeared on the side of the road. The driver quickly became aware of the situation and not only stopped the bus but also managed to reassure the passengers. As soon as the animal came close, the driver kept his composure and continued to communicate.

When the animal finally passed by, the driver, who was called “Mr. Cool” by the IAS official, said goodbye to him heart-warming by addressing him with “Anna”. “Bye Anna, Tata Bye,” the driver can be heard.