Tusker that killed 2 persons in Sringeri taluk of Karnataka captured

The Forest Department captured a 40-year-old female, said to be responsible for the death of two people, on the evening of November 2 in Kudremukh Wildlife Division Kerekatte Ranges in Sringeri taluk of Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka. On October 31, two people died in an elephant attack near Kerekatte.

A team of more than 150 Forest Department personnel and officials, along with five trained elephants, participated in the operation. The animal was captured near Jungle Lodges’ Bhagawathi Nature Camp near Kudremukh.

After two people lost their lives, local people staged a protest demanding a permanent solution to the human-elephant conflict in the region. The Ministry started preparations on November 1 to capture the elephant.

A team of five trained elephants from the Dubare and Dodda Harave camps was brought in on the morning of 2 November. Ground personnel tracked the tusk’s movement. At around 16.30, veterinarians shot a tranquilizer arrow. The animal was loaded onto a truck.

APCCF Manoj Ranjan, Mangaluru Forest Environment Conservator V. Karikalan, DCF of Kudremukh Wildlife Sivaram Babu and other senior officers supervised the operation.

Mr. Sivaram Babu told Hindu It was stated that the captured elephant, weighing approximately 5,000 kg, will be kept under observation at Dodda Harave camp. “The elephant was known to raid crops. It was moving from Agumbe in Shivamogga district to Bhagamandala in Kodagu district. However, there were no instances of it causing human deaths till October 31. Earlier attempts to capture the animal in Shivamogga in 2014 and 2019 failed,” the officer said.

Rehabilitation of families in the Kerekatte Mountain Range

The Ministry of Forestry is preparing to resettle 17 families in the Kerekatte Range, where the movement of wild animals has been noticed. “The ministry is seeking ₹20 crore to shift these families. As soon as we get the funds, we will relocate them. The families are willing to shift,” said an officer.

There are 1,382 families in Kudremukh National Park. Of these, 653 volunteered to move. So far the government has rehabilitated 355 people.

Energy Minister KJ George, who is also the minister in-charge of Chikkamagaluru district, visited the families of those killed in the elephant attack on November 1. He stated that the State Government will seek funds from the Center to rehabilitate all the families.