Mon Sep 08 10:37:29 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
Wild elephants in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), Tamil Nadu, India, have been increasingly intercepting sugarcane-laden lorries on the Dindigul-Mysuru National Highway (NH 948). This has led to the deployment of a special highway patrol team by the Hasanur Forest Range to drive the elephants back into the forest. The elephants obstruct traffic, tear open tarpaulin covers, and consume the sugarcane. The Forest Department has implemented measures like tarpaulin covers and scent-masking sprays, but these have had limited effect. Officials have warned that increased tourist activity due to viral videos of these incidents could escalate human-animal conflict. The sugar mill has assured harvesting will conclude in 10 days, providing temporary relief.
**News Article:**
**Elephant Gangs Holding Up Sugarcane Trucks in Tamil Nadu Tiger Reserve**
**ERODE, India – September 8, 2025** – A surge in incidents involving wild elephants intercepting sugarcane-laden lorries traversing the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu has prompted the Hasanur Forest Range to deploy a special highway patrol team. The 27-kilometer stretch of the Dindigul-Mysuru National Highway (NH 948), which cuts through the reserve, has become a hotspot for these pachyderm raids.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in elephants stopping these lorries, tearing off the covers, and helping themselves to the sugarcane,” explained a Forest Department officer at STR. “They’ve quickly learned that these trucks are a mobile buffet.”
Drivers report being forced to halt as elephants block their path, making off with bundles of sugarcane before retreating into the forest. The sugarcane is being transported from Thalavadi and Karnataka to a private sugar mill in Sathyamangalam.
While measures like tarpaulin covers and scent-masking sprays have been implemented, officials concede they have had limited success. “We chase them away, but they simply reappear further down the road,” the officer said.
Adding to the concern, videos of the elephant encounters have gone viral, attracting tourists to the area. Forest officials are warning that this increased human presence could escalate the risk of human-animal conflict.
The private sugar mill has announced that harvesting will conclude within the next 10 days, potentially providing a temporary respite. The Forest Department is urging the public to exercise caution and avoid approaching the elephants.
First Piper 