Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has said Arjuna, the tusker who died on December 4, was not shot at. The animal did not suffer bullet injuries.
Speaking to presspersons at Dabbalikatte in Yeslur Range in Sakaleshpur after paying homage to Arjuna, the Minister said the veterinarians conducted an external post-mortem. There were no bullet injuries.
“An inquiry committee headed by retired Chief Wildlife Warden has been constituted to probe into the incident. The team members will interact with all those involved in the operation, and they will submit a report in 15 days,”he said.
Replying to a question, the Minister said the Central government has a guideline restricting the use of elephants aged 65 and older in capture operations. However, there was no restriction on involving retired elephants.
The 64-year-old Arjuna died in a fight with a wild tusker during the operation.
Further, the Minister said Arjuna sacrificed his life and saved many lives. “Arjuna has saved the lives of many people involved in the operation. I came here to pay my respects to the tusker, considering its service to the State,” he said.
The Minister said the department would look into the necessary changes in the standard operating procedures to be followed while capturing wild elephants.
Chief Conservator of Forests R. Ravishankar, Hassan SP Mohammad Sujeetha, DCF D. Mohan Kumar and others were present.
