Fire damages 50 acre of forest lands in TN

Coimbatore, Mar 30: A fire that engulfed today at Tiger Hill and Valley View on the slopes of Dodabetta range and damaged about 50 acres of forest land in the Nilgiris district was put off by the forest officials.

The forest officials said after a five-hour battle the major fire was prevented, as the officials had formed the fire lines. The fire had, however, killed many small animals, though the big animals and trees were not affected.

Animals like bison, elephants, sambar and spotted deers have started migrating from the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in the district to the neighbouring Kerala forests.

Streams and other water sources in forest areas in the district were drying up and this forced a crocodile to stray into Karathozhuvu village near Udumalpet yesterday. People caught the reptile and handed it over to the forest officials, they added.

In the last one month, the elephants were straying in the human habitat.

UNI