Sumithra, an Anganwadi teacher in Bhalekadi, Sringeri taluk, rides five km to reach her centre with her assistant Meenakshi. Once visited by eight children, only one now attends. "Earlier, eight children were regulars at the centre. After elephants started roaming in the area, parents stopped sending their children," said Sumithra. The lone child’s home is nearby, so she plays alone, eats, and returns home. Elephants roaming close to Kerekatte gram panchayat, near Kudremukh National Park, have affected the villagers deeply. Sumithra recalled, "I used to come to the centre by walk and bring all the children along with me. However, after the elephant attack in which two people were killed, the parents stopped sending children with me." On October 31, 2025, two people died in an elephant attack near Kerekatte, sparking local protests. The Forest Department then captured the suspected elephant. Sumithra said, "We had witnessed the movement of elephants in our area. There were signs of their movements and damages caused to crops and public properties. However, the fatal incidents left all of us in shock and fear." The village has 46 families across Hulagaru Bailu, Vaddina Karke, and Bhale-Kodige. They lack proper roads, public transport, health and education facilities. The local higher primary school closed three years ago due to low enrollment. Many children now attend residential schools from class 1. Residents walk to the nearest highway at Umbalakere to catch buses. They travel 13 km to Nemmaru for fair price shop access. The elephant attacks have increased fear, pushing people to use autorickshaws despite high costs. "Autorickshaw drivers charge ₹600 for one-way journey to Sringeri, the taluk centre. If we want to visit the town to purchase essential items, we have to spend ₹1,200," said Asha from Vaddina-Karke. Most villagers now want to leave the area, willing to give up ancestral homes and farmlands if they get fair compensation for rehabilitation.