Kottayam: Three wild elephants that strayed into the human inhabited areas in Palakkad and Thrissur district from Dhoni forest are creating panic among the people even as the Forest Department and police are making all attempts to send the elephants back to the forest on Friday.

Though it has given sleepless nights to the people of entire palakkad and areas of Thrissur bordering Palakkad in the last few days, the pachyderm seems to be enjoying their human inhabited areas venturing through the lush green paddy fields, bamboo forests and remaining submerged in water bodies. The forest department’s attempts to send them back to forest using fire crackers were not making any impact on them. The elephants came to Mankurussi covering 30 km crossing Palakkad-Kozhikkode on August 4.

They were first seen in a paddy field in a paddy field from there they went to a large private property with trees and vegetation.

Later they continued their journey not knowing where to go. On the way they damaged a 11 kv power line by flinging an uprooted tree on it. Then they went to a tile company where they stayed for some time.

Then they moved Perungottukurissi crossing the National Highway and Bharatspuzha river. They returned crossing the river to reach Mudapullithar via Kalikavu, Puthalakkad and Chendankadu.

The entire operation is monitored by Thrissur district forest officer Patil Suyog Subhash Rao and Palakkad district forest officer Samuel Vanlalgheta Pachuau.

A tribal team from Wayanad district are also helping the forest department.

The forest department is also exploring the options to bring Kumkis from Coimbatore to guide them back to forest.

The elephants are showing signs to return to forest through Kalladikkod crossing Palakkad-Kozhikkode national highway.

Traffic through the section has been suspended to facilitate the elephants to pass through.

Traffic was disrupted for long time due to this.