Indian police use elephants to evict people living illegally in forests!

• Authorities plan to demolish about 1,000 bamboo and tin huts.

Indian police have taken the unusual step of using elephants in an attempt to evict hundreds of people living illegally in a protected forest area in the country's remote northeast.

Police used bulldozers and the elephants in a show of force Monday, and the forest dwellers responded by hurling rocks. Police commissioner Hiren Nath said five protesters were injured in a scuffle after police used tear gas in the Amsang forest area in Assam state.Authorities plan to demolish about 1,000 bamboo and tin huts.

State Forest Minister Pramilla Brahma said the area is an elephant habitat and the unauthorized settlements were forcing the pachyderms to leave in search of food. There have been many incidents in which wild elephants have entered villages, destroying crops and even killing people.