A herd of elephants entered the human habitation in Kanuvai, in the rural limits, and damaged a house, a temple wall and idols inside it, in the early hours of today.

The herd—three adults and four calves—climbed down from jungles of the Western Ghats and entered the habitation and straight away targeted a house, where a woman and two children were staying, police said.

Fearing for their lives, the family took shelter in a neighbour’s house, even as the elephants damaged the compound wall and consumed food there, including rice, wheat and vegetables, stored in the kitchen. On its return journey, the herd damaged the wall of a temple, the gate of the sanctum sanctorum and idols at the entrance of the village, resulting in a panic situation.

On being informed, officials from the Forest Department rushed to the spot and managed to drive away the herd to the jungles, said police.