Tusker captured in Sakleshpur

Local people believe that this tusker was responsible for the death of Shanmukha, who died in an elephant attack at Baikere on April 25. Besides that, they believe that the animal had attacked a couple of agriculture workers in nearby villages.

Shivamogga

The Forest Department of Karnataka captured a trouble-causing tusker at Magadi Estate in Halasulige village of Sakleshpur taluk in Hassan district on May 1.

Local people believe that this tusker was responsible for the death of Shanmukha, who died in an elephant attack at Baikere on April 25. Besides that, they believe that the animal had attacked a couple of agriculture workers in nearby villages.

The elephant task force tracked down the animal. Veterinarians successfully sedated the animal by firing a tranquiliser dart. Later, the task force captured the animal with the help of tamed elephants Kanjan, Sugreeva, Dhananjaya, Mahendra, Ekalavya and Karnataka Bhima. The captured tusker is about 20 years old.

The Forest Department took the initiative after local people staged protests demanding capture of wild elephants following recent incidents of human-elephant conflict.

Conservator of Forests Yedukondalu V. and Deputy Conservator of Forests Sourabh Kumar were among those who took part in the operation.

Earlier in March, the department had captured three elephants. Two were shifted to elephant camps while one was translocated with a radio-collar. Besides that, the department had fixed radio collars on two other tuskers.