BENGALURU: The pressure of visitors and their proximity to elephants in camps needs to be checked as an influx of visitors was noticed at the Dubare and Sakrebyle elephant camps, read a report prepared by a committee constituted by the Karnataka High Court to evaluate the condition of elephants at camps in Karnataka.
“It is a good practice to allow visitors to come to the camp and see the animals at close quarters. However, the team felt that visitors were a shade closer to the elephants at Dubare. We would recommend instituting some restrictions and keeping the elephants slightly away from people’s reach,” the report read.
But these directions, issued in 2019, were never implemented. The ground staff at the forest department said they are not aware of any such report. The committee members, however, said that had the recommendations been implemented, the tragedy of a Tamil Nadu tourist getting crushed to death in a fight between two elephants on May 18 could have been avoided.
The 15-page report was prepared on the directions of the HC in 2019. The high court was hearing a PIL (WP 21570/2019) seeking a study of the condition of elephant camps, deaths of captive elephants and steps to be taken to improve the condition of the camps.
A three-member committee was constituted on the directions of the High Court that consisted of KM Chinnappa, retired forest officer and Trustee, Wildlife First, Dr Kalaivanan, veterinary assistant surgeon at Thevaram Veterinary Dispensary in Tamil Nadu, and Dr NVK Ashraf, senior director and chief veterinarian at the Wildlife Trust of India.
The committee members visited six elephant camps -- Mathigodu, Cauvery, Dubare, Balle, Rampura and Sakrebyle. They assessed the camps based on seven criteria -- their location, access to water body, infrastructure, welfare, health and management, husbandry and condition of animals. During the assessment, other factors, including visitor influx and proximity were also noted.
None of the elephant camps scored good marks in the committee’s assessment. The average score of the camps was three on a scale of five. Dubare scored 3.5, but on infrastructure and health and management, it scored 2.5.
The report noted, “It is unfortunate that ground realities have forced the government to capture so many elephants and resign them to captivity. This has undoubtedly put undue pressure on the existing camps to accommodate them into their fold.”
Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre said he was not aware of the report and no one informed him. “It has not even been brought to the notice of the government. The committee’s recommendations were not implemented. This will be investigated,” he added.
Asked who was responsible for the tourist’s death in Dubare, Khandre said, “It was an accident. The matter is being investigated and a team has been sent to check the details.”
