Herd of tuskers strays into villages, triggers panic Updated: Updated: Over 80 Forest officials chase pachyderms back into forest Share Article AAA The herd of elephants that strayed into villages near Panamaram in Wayanad district on Friday. | Photo Credit: Sepcial Arrangement Over 80 Forest officials chase pachyderms back into forest A herd of wild elephants that strayed into human habitations near Panamaram in Wayanad district on Friday morning triggered panic among the local people. Forest Department sources said a herd of four tuskers had entered a village at Mechery from Pathiri reserve forest in the South Wayanad forest division. The herd was sighted inside a private coffee plantation at Mechery around 6.30 a.m. A team of Forest officials led by Chethalayath Forest Range Officer B. Asiff and Mananthavady Forest Range Officer K.V. Biju reached the spot.