The Hindu : Dangerous tusker captured at Polibetta

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 02, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Dangerous tusker captured at Polibetta

By Our Staff Correspondent

MADIKERI May 1 . The Forest Department, which launched an operation to capture four to five tuskers that have been causing havoc in and around Siddapur, successfully captured one tusker at a private plantation at Polibetta in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu on Thursday.

The forest personnel, who identified the tusker aged about 20 years, along with a "makhna" (an elephant without tusks), summoned the seven "kumkis" (tamed elephants) from the Bajegoli elephant camp, near Siddapur, around noon to assist in the operations. The first dart fired to tranquillise the tusker missed but the second one fired by Venkatesh after 3 p.m. succeeded in tranquillising the animal.

Chittiappa, veterinarian, took over the operations to shackle the animal. The sharp tusks were blunted. Water was poured continuously on the animal to prevent its body temperature rising.

The Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Virajpet, I.P. Kalappa, and the Thithimathi ACF, Gabriel Vegas, played key roles in the operation.

The entire operation was over in 20 minutes, with Dr. Chittiappa injecting an antidote to revive the animal.

The captured tusker was taken to the Majjigehalla camp, near Thithimathi. It will be taken to Hebbale from there on Friday.

Over 50 forest personnel were involved in the capture of the animal apart from more than 15 mahouts and "kavadis" (assistants). The Conservator of Forests, Kodagu Circle, P. Anur Reddy, the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Virajpet, R.K. Srivastava, the Madikeri DCF, G.S. Yadav, the Superintendent of Police, K.V. Sharath Chandra, were present during the operations.

The Forest Department had made full preparations since the past few days to plan the capture operation systematically. As many as seven "kumkis" — Arjuna, Rama, Gajendra, Bharata, Vikrama, Harsha, and Abhimanyu drawn from different divisions of the Nagarahole National Park and Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu — reached the Bajegoli camp located amidst a corporate coffee plantation on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Social Welfare Minister, A. Krishnappa, deputed by the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, along with Gokul Ram, Principal Secretary, Forests, visited Polibetta 10 days ago to assess the situation arising out of the killing of a labourer in Polibetta by a wild elephant. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife and the Chief Wildlife Warden, R.M. Ray, visited the elephant infested areas a few days ago, and assured the people that the elephants would be removed.

Close on the news of the capture of the tusker at Polibetta, another elephant attempted to attack some persons of a family at Balukodu, near Kushalnagar, in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu, severely damaging a portion of their house on Thursday afternoon.

The house belonged to Nangaru Somayya. Somayya's wife and daughter were working in their banana plantations in the afternoon when the tusker tried to attack them. They ran back home and alerted neighbours over telephone. Three neighbours who came out to drive away the elephant were also attacked by it, with one sustaining minor injuries while trying to escape. Later, the elephant is said to have damaged a portion of the house.

The zilla panchayat member, V.P. Shashidhar, and his supporters staged a rasta roko around 5 p.m. at Balukodu to protest against the "callousness" of the Forest Department, which was accused of not initiating appropriate action though several complaints were lodged in the past few months.

They relented only after the Kushalnagar Range Forest Office, Kumar, arrived at the spot and assured them that action would be taken to contain the menace.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

MLA's 'move' to re-join Cong. opposed

UNESCO team to visit Hampi

Dangerous tusker captured at Polibetta

CBI clears former State IT chief

State likely to get Rs. 80 cr. NCDC aid

Toranagallu section: Vedike plans rail roko on May 7