Farmers raise concerns as lone tusker is on crop raid near Coimbatore

Farmers in Coimbatore district face crop damage and sleepless nights due to lone male elephant raiding farms.

After struggling to protect their crops from small herds of elephants, farmers from Pappanaickenpalayam and surrounding villages near Thadagam in Coimbatore district are having sleepless nights due to a lone male elephant.

The young tusker, according to farmers, has been feeding on various agricultural crops and cattle feed stored in cow sheds in the locality for the past few days.

On Saturday night, the tusker entered the farm of Giridharan at Pappanaickenpalayam and damaged areca nut palms, papaya and banana.

Another resident of the locality, Udhay Kumar said the same elephant damaged over 100 banana trees, which were nearing harvest stage.

“I had harvested 50 % of the kadali banana from the farm. The elephant damaged the ones that were left to be harvested. Elephants prefer the stem inside the trunk. But the entire tree and banana get damaged when they feed on the stem,” he said.

Irrigation pipeline laid for the farm was also damaged by the elephant. The cost of laying pipes for an acre was around ₹50,000.

The same elephant ate corn flour, which is used as cattle feed, stored by Venkateshan of Pappanaickenpalayam early on Monday. It also damaged a gate, browsing through farms.