• A herd of about 50 wild elephants had destroyed cultivated land and home garden crops

By B.G.Chaturanga   

A rogue elephant that roamed into Kasamaduwa village in Mihintale division yesterday had caused extensive damage to a rice mill and a paddy stores and pulled down the walls in two houses.  It had gulped down large stocks of paddy after pulling down the walls of the houses and attempted to enter another house. Residents of the area said wild elephants that roamed into the villages gulped down paddy and other foodstuffs and damage the village houses.   

The owners of an oil mill and a rice mill said the wild elephants pulled down the walls of the rice mill and caused damage to the equipment.   

Meanwhile residents of Kasamaduwa, Ihalagama, Kelegama, Nithiyagama, Netiyagama, Pothana and Seeppukulams areas said a herd of about 50 wild elephants that roamed into the villages destroyed cultivated land and home garden crops. They said they were living in constant fear of any possible danger to their life.