Karnataka - Hassan   

Proposal to translocate wild elephant approved

Staff Correspondent

HASSAN: The Chief Wildlife Warden and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), A.K. Varma has approved a proposal by the Conservator of Forests, Hassan Circle, to translocate one wild elephant, which allegedly killed one person in Bagdalu village of Arkalgud taluk and damaged standing crop in Alur and Arkalgud range. The operation to translocate the elephant is expected to take place after it stops raining in Malnad region, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, K.H. Nagaraj has said.

He told The Hindu that the process of tranquillising and shifting the wild elephant was on and after conducting a preliminary meeting of officials a special team was formed to identify the elephant, as there was no consensus among the villagers of Alur, Yesalur and Arkalgud range, on the exact wild elephant, which was tormenting them. The official team would visit the affected areas and pinpoint the animal.

The PCCF, who accorded permission to catch and shift the elephant a week ago, had given three months time to complete the process, he added.

The department had sent a proposal to the Union Government, for capturing 20 wild elephants, which were creating problem in both Hassan and Kodagu districts and translocating them to Bhadra Wild Sanctuary. Though the carrying capacity of this sanctuary was 500 elephants, now it accommodated only 200 and it can afford to provide space for another 20, the Conservator of Forests Krishne Gowda explained. It was also not easy for the Union Government to accord permission to capture and shift 20 elephants.

Meanwhile, wildlife protection groups would also object to conducting operation of the nature, he explained. Mr. Nagaraj said he had recommended the State Government to sanction Rs. 1 lakh compensation for Suresh who died in an elephant attack at Bagadalu village.

Eleven killed

Eleven villagers were killed in both Hassan and Kodagu range, he added. The Forest Department was spending about Rs. 15 lakh annually towards crop compensation and a similar amount was being allotted for scaring operations every year. It was better to capture all the 20 migrating elephants from Hassan and Kodagu divisions and translocate them to Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, he said.

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Proposal to translocate wild elephant approved

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