Vigil stepped up to prevent them from entering human habitations A herd of seven elephants has made a comeback to the Andiappanur Reserve Forest (RF) after wandering in the forest areas at Salem. The Forest Department has stepped up vigil to prevent the elephants from entering human habitations after the herd including the tusker arrived at the Andiappanur RF on Saturday. Following the directions of District Forest Officer, Tirupattur division R. Padmavathi, personnel attached to the Tirupattur Forest Range have taken measures to monitor the movement of the elephants inside the RF. Forest Range Officer of Tirupattur range T. Manaseh Manavalan said the herd was wandering in the areas of the Tirupattur Forest Range such as Mambakkam and Govindapuram for the last one week. “It is presently inside the Andiappanur RF. Nearly a month ago, six elephants were wandering in the forest areas of Salem, while the tusker was roaming in Kavalur. The six elephants had come to Kavalur and the tusker joined the herd. The herd had gone to Arur but was chased away within a few days by bursting fire crackers. It then returned to the Tirupattur forest range and is here since last Friday,” he said. The villagers in the surrounding areas have been alerted about the presence of the herd, he said, adding, “The villagers have been told not to venture into the forest areas at night and not to sleep on their lands but stay inside their houses at night.” On their part, the personnel of Tirupattur range have been continuously monitoring the movement of the herd to prevent it from entering into the villages and agricultural lands. “We have undertaken round-the-clock monitoring of the herd. While 10 of our men watch the herd during day time, 20 men have been deployed to monitor the herd at night because it is during night that the elephants tend to come out of the reserve forest,” Mr. Manavalan said. He said water was available for the animals inside the RF as the water level at Andiappanur Dam was full. “We have undertaken round-the-clock monitoring of the herd” “Water is available inside the reserve forest as the water level at Andiappanur Dam is full”