Forest officials launched radio collaring of elephants

Hassan: The Forest Department is set to tackle the longstanding issue of human-elephant conflicts by initiating the installation of radio collars on nine elephants in the Sakaleshpur-Alur taluk region. On Friday one elephant was radio collared . The ongoing operation started today will be continued till December 15.

The radio collar operation involved a team of tamed elephants , mahouts, and kawadis from the Dubare elephant camp in Kodagu. The preparations for this operation were temporarily halted a few months ago following a tragic incident where sharpshooter Venkatesh lost his life during the operation.

Forest-related issues have persisted in the district for decades, resulting in numerous fatalities. In the last year alone, 65 people lost their lives due to forest attacks. Seeking a comprehensive solution to this ongoing problem, a high-level meeting of forest officials was convened at Aranya Bhavan in the city, chaired by Forest Minister Ishwar Khandre.

Permission has been granted to fit radio collars on nine elephants, divided into separate groups in Alur, Sakaleshpura, and Belur. The operation , aiming to address the concerns of farmers and residents grappling with the persistent issue of human-elephant conflicts.

While the installation of radio collars on the identified elephants may not completely resolve the problem, it is expected to enhance preventive measures by informing local residents about the elephants' whereabouts, allowing them to take necessary precautions. Farmers and coffee growers in the region, who have suffered losses due to forest-related incidents, have been advocating for the government to take action. Their demands include providing suitable compensation and relinquishing approximately three thousand acres of land dedicated to agriculture and horticulture.

The operation will cover Alur, Belur, Sakaleshpura, Yasalur, and Arakalagudu zones, with the Deputy Conservator of Forests urging farmers and the public to cooperate during the designated period. Hassan DFO Mohan stated, " preparations have been made for the installation of radio collars on nine elephants. The elephants that were identified earlier have been re-identified, and precautions have been taken to prevent a recurrence of the previous incident."

Sakaleshpur MLA Cement Manju expressed, "People were outraged by the problem of deforestation. As an MLA, I drew the attention of the government. Previously, only one or two elephants were given permission to wear radio collars. This time nine elephants have been given permission."