The Forest Department, on Tuesday, successfully captured a tusker at Heddarvalli near Bikkodu in Belur taluk with the help of tamed elephants. The elephant would be released to a distant place after installing the radio collar around its neck.
The department has been conducting the operation to capture trouble-causing wild elephants in Hassan district. A wild tusker was captured at Nallur in Alur taluk on Saturday (January 13). This is the second wild elephant captured this year.
A trained veterinarian successfully sedated the animal after firing the tranquliser dart. The staff captured the elephant with the help of tamed elephants.
Hassan Deputy Conservator of Forests Sourabh Kumar informed the media that the operation was carried out under the guidance of R. Ravishankar, Chief Conservator of Forests. As many as eight tamed and trained elephants, from different elephant camps, were involved in the operation.
The officer said that the animal would be released in the distant forest area after attaching a radio-collar. With the help of radio-collar, the department can track the movement of the animal.
Many elephants have been roaming in parts of Hassan district, leaving local people in constant fear. During the elephant capture operation on December 4, Arjuna, the tamed tusker which carried howdah during the Mysuru Dasara celebrations, died in a fight with a wild elephant. Following Arjuna’s death the operation was abandoned.
