BENGALURU: It was nothing short of a wild chase for Forest Department officials through the bustling city on Saturday — looking for an ‘elephant’. After hours of search, it turned out to be a life-size fibre-cast model of a tusker which was being transported for a private function. Alarm bells first started ringing after Forest officials got a call alerting them about a jumbo herd being sighted near Tumakuru on Saturday morning. By noon, they got information about an elephant, chained and drugged, being transported in a goods vehicle on the city roads. Some time later, a photograph of the ‘chained elephant’ started doing the rounds on WhatsApp.
All the staffers in Bengaluru were put on alert to locate the elephant and Forest officials intensified their search. “We searched everywhere for the elephant. Around 4 pm, we were told that the vehicle carrying the elephant was sighted near Manyata Tech Park. All attention shifted there. An intensive search was conducted with the help of the police and the elephant was found at a private event in North-east Bengaluru,” said a forest official.
Deputy Conservator of Forests-Bengaluru Urban, Sidaramappa C, told TNSE they checked the elephant and found it to be a dummy model. But the officials were not done with it. They suspected that the life-size model could be stuffed with something and are seeking permission from higher-ups to seize it and check it thoroughly.
The officials said they did not want to leave anything to chance as a tusker had wandered up till Sarjapur Road in August from the Bannerghatta forest. Also, the department has been frequently dealing with elephants in Tavarekere, Turahalli, Tumkuru and Bannerghatta Road.
