Madikeri, Feb. 11 -- Farmers live in fear

The elephant menace in Kodagu district has reached alarming levels, forcing farmers, plantation workers and residents to live in constant fear.

The notion that elephant troubles are limited to specific areas is long outdated - wild elephants have now entrenched themselves across Kodagu's coffee plantations. Estimates suggest that over 300 elephants currently inhabit these plantations, making human-elephant conflict a daily reality.

Plantations turn into habitats

In the past, wild elephants entered coffee plantations seeking food but eventually returned to the forests. Over time, however, many elephants remained in the plantations, breeding and increasing their numbers. Efforts to drive them ba...