Forest dept bullet meant to scare elephant hits biker

A scooter rider was injured after a bullet fired in the air by forest department personnel to drive away an elephant hit his leg at Aivarnadu near Sullia on Sunday. The injured rider, Raghava Prabhu of Peruvaje village, was returning home from Sampaje in the evening when he noticed elephants near Bengamale.

Raghava took a U-turn to avoid the animals. Forest personnel then allegedly fired a shot from a gun to scare the elephants. One of the bullets hit Raghava's left leg. Deccan Herald reports that he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The incident has raised questions about safety protocols during wildlife conflict management in the region. No further details about the condition of the injured man or any action taken against the forest staff are available yet.