Forest department sharp shooter trampled by wild elephant

Hassan: Forest department sharp shooter was kileld by a wild elephant in Halliyur in Alur taluk in Hassan district on Thursday. The retired forest guard, Venkatesh, was accompanying a doctor for an elephant's treatment when the tragedy occurred. Venkatesh suffered critical injuries during the incident and sadly passed away at the Hassan Hospital.

Venkatesh had been administering tranquliser to an injured elephant named Bhima near Halliyur as part of the treatment process. Tragically, during this procedure, Bhima unexpectedly attacked Venkatesh. The forest guard sustained serious injuries and was immediately rushed to the hospital, but despite medical efforts, he couldn't be saved. Venkatesh had prior experience in administering tranqulise to captive elephants.

Notably, Bhima had been considered mild-mannered and had never displayed aggression before. The attack on Venkatesh marked the first time Bhima had shown such behavior.

Venkatesh had played a significant role in various critical forest operations, including the capture of potentially dangerous animals. His expertise extended to tasks like forest relocation and the installation of radio collars. he had participated in forest capture operations in several states, including Goa, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.