BENGALURU: Following the death of Rajesh, the mahout of Maheshwara (tusker), who died on Monday, conservationists have appealed to Karnataka State Forest Department and the state government to rehabilitate the tusker.The tusker had accidentally trampled his mahout out of aggression when in masth.
In the letter penned to the department, a copy of which is with TNIE, conservationists have urged the Forest Department to take care of the tusker until its aggressiveness ebbs.
“The death of the mahout is said be accidental. However, if the tusker has been in a constant state of masth, it would be prudent to release it for rehabilitation, both in the interest of animal and people who are in close proximity to the elephant. As the forest officials have advised, the captive elephant, which has been restrained to a small area, should be relocated to the elephant camps at either Bannerghatta or Nagarhole tiger reserves,” the letter stated.
According to members of the Captive Elephant Welfare Committee, the tusker has shown stereotypical aggressive behaviour, borne out of living in stress for a prolonged period of time. “It has been a practice amongst private elephant owners in Tamil Nadu to send their tuskers to Madumalai Tiger Reserve to cohabit and de-stress at Theppekadu. We appeal to the ashram authorities to consider entrusting the Karnataka Forest Department to take care Maheshwara,” it stated.