Karnataka: Wild elephant spotted roaming on Charmadi Ghat, biker narrowly escapes

A wild elephant was discovered near the ninth turn on Charmadi Ghat, adding to concerns over wildlife encounters. Eyewitnesses reported its emergence from Banjaru Hill, narrowly avoiding a biker. The incident, captured on video, highlights increasing wildlife activity in the region. Speculation arises that it may be the same elephant spotted in Kadane Kalkanja, seeking refuge in the area due to drying forest lakes.

A wild elephant was discovered near the ninth turn on Charmadi Ghat, around noon on Monday, adding to the growing concerns over wildlife encounters in the area. Just two months ago, a wild elephant was spotted roaming the Ghat environment four times within a day, highlighting the increasing wildlife activity in the region.

On Monday, eyewitnesses reported that the elephant emerged from the side of Banjaru Hill, paused briefly on the roadside, before wandering onto the road and eventually making its way towards the fox forest.

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However, the tranquil scenery quickly turned tense when a biker, unaware of the elephant's presence, narrowly escaped danger as it crossed the road. Motorists on both sides had halted their vehicles to facilitate the elephant's crossing, but the absence of vehicles on one side led to the biker's close encounter. Fortunately, the quick actions of other motorists alerted the biker to the imminent danger.

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The heart-stopping moment was captured on video by a passenger and has since been circulating on social media platforms. Reports suggest that the elephant was first spotted near Charmadi on Sunday night following a raid in a garden in Kadane Kalkanja the previous Saturday. Speculation is rife that the same elephant observed in Kalkanja may have ventured into Charmadi Ghat.

With forest lakes now dry and only the Mrityunjaya River flowing, it's speculated that the elephant sought refuge in the Neria and Charmadi areas, where the river courses through.