2 days ago
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Frequent elephant presence on the scenic Athirappilly-Malakkappara inter-State route has been causing concern among tourists as well as security forces.
Traffic on the road came to a standstill after a wild elephant, locally called Kabali, entered the road near Ambalappara on Sunday and Monday, leading to traffic hold-ups for nearly five hours on both days.
The tusker entered the road around 3.30 p.m. on Sunday and toppled a palm tree. It stood on the road, leisurely feeding while vehicles lined up on both sides. Tourists and motorists, including several inter-State travellers, were forced to wait in fear while forest personnel tried to drive the elephant back to the jungle amid heavy rain.
According to witnesses, some passengers jumped to nearby slopes when Kabali suddenly turned towards them. Forest guards and local people later rescued them after the elephant retreated.
It was only late in the night that the elephant finally moved back into the forest, near Anakkayam, after walking nearly 16 km. The traffic jam had left scores of vehicles, including Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses, stranded for hours and the passengers had to go without food and water.
The elephant caused traffic block on Monday, the Deepavali day, too. As there was a heavy flow of tourists on the two days, long queues of vehicles formed on the road.
Forest officials said the elephant’s behaviour had become increasingly unpredictable as it was suspected to be in musth, and the elephant had entered the road for the third time this month, causing repeated traffic disruptions and damage to vehicles.
On Tuesday, authorities imposed strict traffic control on the Athirappilly-Malakkappara stretch, restricting vehicle movement and urging tourists to avoid stopping for photos. “Tourists should understand the risks— Kabali is in musth and highly aggressive,” a senior forest officer warned, adding that efforts are under way to drive the tusker deep into the forest.
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