Thrissur: A herd of 24 wild elephants is camping in a rubber plantation in Chalakudy.
After their presence in an estate close to the forest area was reported, forest officials tried to send them back but failed. The incident took place under the Palappilly forest range.
A senior forest official said that the department is monitoring the situation and doesn't want to disturb the herd because such action may create trouble.
He added that such incidents are not rare. "Sometimes multiple herds of elephants enter the big estates which were once part of the forest."
On Tuesday, a young male elephant stayed in the area and was found dead in a septic tank in an empty house. The incident took place near a forest area in Vellikulangara. The young elephant demolished the solar fencing. It was found with its face falling first into the tank.
Authorities suspect that the tank collapsed when the elephant stepped on it.
Local residents said wild elephants had been frequently straying into human habitations for the past few years. In the last two weeks, three elephants had been camping in the area and damaging crops including rubber trees, coconut trees, and plantains.