Wild Elephant Driven Towards Forest After Entering Ujire College Campus

Mangalore Today News Network

Beltangady, Sep 7, 2026: A wild elephant that entered the compound of a private engineering college at Ujire on Sunday morning was driven towards the forest area on the Charmadi side following a sustained operation by the Forest Department and the Mangaluru Elephant Task Force.

The elephant was spotted around 6 am after entering the area from a plantation near the college. Forest officials immediately began monitoring its movements and took measures to prevent it from entering the college premises or moving towards Ujire town.

The elephant had taken shelter in a wooded area at the rear of the college, about 100 metres from the hostel. With houses, a national highway and the nearby town adding to the risk, officials launched an operation to move the animal towards the forest.

Forest personnel fired three rounds into the air and burst firecrackers to scare the elephant away. More than 20 personnel, assisted by the Mangaluru Elephant Task Force, were involved in the operation.

Beltangady Range Forest Officer Mahesh Devadiga said elephant movement in the area was not unusual and that the animal was believed to have entered from the Uppinangady division.

Officials said the elephant had been almost driven towards the Charmadi-side forest and that monitoring would continue to prevent it from returning to the college campus or nearby populated areas.