Madikeri: Forest officials capture rogue pachyderm

Madikeri: The Forest Department has finally succeeded in capturing the rogue tusker which had created anxiety by attacking the labourers by encamping in the coffee plantations in the Siddapur area of Kodagu district. The 35-year-old tusker was captured by the department personnel on Sunday near Kandangala village near Ammatti in Virajpet taluk of the district. .

The Forest Department have released the captured elephant at DB Kuppe reserve forest after installing radio collar. In the month of June the tusker attacked three workers who were working in different coffee plantations. Due to this, the surrounding locals were living in fear. In a large scale operation Forest officials brought three elephants from Dubare elephant camp and with the cooperation of Abhimanyu from Mattigodu camp, kavadigars, Mahouts and more than 50 staff have captured the pachyderm by striving for two days.

Speaking to reporters, Virajpet Deputy Conservator of Forests BM Channabasappa said that two elephants had died in the last two months. ‘In this regard, an order was received from the government to capture and relocate two elephants. Accordingly, an operation was carried out with the team of our forest authorities and the elephant was captured within two hours with the help of four department elephants including Abhimanyu, Prashantha, Harsha and Ramu. And as per the direction of our superiors, the elephant released into DB Kuppe forest after installing radio collar’.

Before the operation, the forest department cautioned villages , coffee plantation workers , school children of Kannangala, Yadur, Chatchinnadu, Kavadi, Kumberi, Puliyeli, Hosur, Siddapur, Injalagere, Anandpur, Guhya villages under the Ammati forest range of Virajpet forest zone. Also, if an elephant is found, the public has been asked to inform the officials of the forest department.