KWALE, Kenya, March 7 (UPI) -- Residents of Kwale, Kenya, have called for the Kenya Wildlife Service to act after elephants crushed farmlands and attacked villagers in recent days.

Parents said they have been keeping their children home from school to protect them from elephant attacks, the Daily Nation reported Friday.

Villagers called for wildlife officials to help keep the elephants off their farms and compensate them for damage to their crops.

Philip Mwakio, an assistant director for the service, said measures are being planned to keep the elephants in their designated areas and away from humans.

"Wild animals have invaded human territories but we will come up with a permanent solution to avoid the persistent complaints from the area residents," he said. "Kwale residents have suffered for a long time but we are currently repairing the fence to restrict movement of the animals."