Forest Department captures third trouble-causing wild elephant in Hassan district in a week

Forest Department captures wild elephant causing trouble in Hassan district, with the help of tamed elephants and tranquilizer dart.

The Forest Department captured a wild elephant near Hebbanahalli in Sakleshpur on Sunday. The pachyderm had been causing trouble in parts of Hassan district.

With that, the department has captured three elephants in the operation that began on March 16.

The staff identified the makna elephant (tuskless male) and tracked it. The veterinarian in the team fired the tranquillizer dart to sedate the animal. Later, the staff captured the elephant with the help of tamed elephants.

According to the department, the makna elephant had been raiding agricultural lands and often troubled people in the locality.

The operation was conducted under the guidance of Subhash Malkade, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) (Wildlife), and R. Manoj, PCCF (Elephant Project). Conservator of Forests (Hassan) V. Yedukondala, Deputy Conservator of Forests Sourabh Kumar, veterinarians from Nagarahole, Bandipur, and the staff of Hassan division, Elephant Task Force, rapid response team were involved in the operation.

Tamed elephants – Dhananjaya, Prashantha, Bheema, Kanjan, Harsha, Ekalavya, and Mahendra played a prominent role in the operation.

The department conducted the operation to capture three trouble-causing elephants in the region following the death of four people in elephant attacks in Hassan district within two months.