Proposal to establish elephant camp in Budhipadaga dropped

Chamarajanagara: The forest officials dropped the plan to establish an elephant camp in Budhipadaga under Biligiriranganatha Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BTR) after experts expressed doubt about its viability.

During the tenure of B S Yeddyurappa as chief minister, he announced a new elephant camp in Budhipadaga in this year's budget and even earmarked Rs one crore for the project. Now forest officials are preparing to submit a detailed project report on expanding the Kyatedevaragudi (K gudi) elephant camp.

The State government had set up an expert committee comprising CCF and DCFs to establish an elephant camp in Budhipadaga. The committee studied the feasibility of establishing an elephant camp in Suvarnavathi backwater, Belavattha dam including K Gudi.

The committee opined that elephants could face shortage of fodder and water in Budhipadaga. The K Gudi already has an elephant camp in which an elephant named Gajendra is being bred here.

This camp is a safari centre attracting a large number of tourists. The committee said that K Gudi has all basic infrastructure such as quarters, kitchen and mahouts to expand the camp.

Speaking to The Hans India, BRT Tiger Reserve deputy conservator of forests and director Dr G Santhosh Kumar said that the expert panel favoured expansion of the K Gudi elephant camp by providing basic infrastructure.