Bandipur foresters capture ‘rogue’ tusker
BTR director P Ramesh Kumar said based on the request from the villagers, a permission was sought from the PCCF (Wildlife) to capture the pachyderm.
Published: 08th June 2023 08:10 AM | Last Updated: 08th June 2023 08:21 AM | A+A A-
The elephant was captured after a five-day combing operation
MYSURU: After five days of massive combing operation, foresters of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve succeeded in capturing a tusker that had trampled a villager to death and had also destroyed crops grown in several acres in Kundukere and Gopalaswamy Betta forest fringe villages.
The elephant had raided several agricultural fields in Kebbepura, Hundipura, Chowdahalli, Jakkahalli, Mangala, Yelechetti and Chikkayelechetti villages coming under Kundukere and GS Betta ranges and had destroyed the standing crops causing huge loss to the farmers since last one year.
The tusker had also trampled a villager to death at Shivapura village on June 15, 2022, besides entering several farmhouses and damaging the properties. The tusker had regularly raided paddy fields on forest fringe villages. The villagers, who were disappointed by the constant raids by the tusker destroying their crops, held an indefinite protest at Hundipura village from May 15, 2023. During the protest, the villagers submitted a memorandum to foresters urging them to capture the tusker at the earliest.
BTR director P Ramesh Kumar said based on the request from the villagers, a permission was sought from the PCCF (Wildlife) to capture the pachyderm.
Teams were formed to trace the tusker’s movements. Even drones were used to locate it and the jumbo was traced to Guddekere forest area. Camp elephants, Harsha and Dhananjay from Dubare camp in Madikeri Wildlife Division, Gajendra from K Gudi in Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve and Parthasarathy and Jayaprakash from Rampura camp in Bandipur Tiger Reserve were summoned for the operation.
