Faced with the challenge of confronting the rising case of man-animal conflicts, the ForestDepartment has sent a proposal to the Government seeking permission to capture five rogue elephants in the district, which have been pestering residents and destroying coffee and other crops.
The Forest officials, who have already captured five rogue pachyderms in Siddapura, Chettalli and Boikeri in the district, have prepared a plan to catch five more identified elephants in the district.
While one of the five captured elephants has been released to Kabini backwaters coming under H D Kote forest area, other four have been sent to Dubare elephant camp, sources said and added that the process of catching five more elephants would be taken up immediately after getting permission from the Government at an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Madikeri Deputy Conservator of Forests V Yedukondalu, speaking to newsmen said that presence of these elephants in coffee estates in Siddapura, Chettali, Polybetta and others has left workers annoyed. The captured elephants would be released back to the woods.
In the wake of rising number of wild elephants being trapped, the Department proposes to set up another camp for trained elephants close to the Chikklihole backwaters, sources said and added that Cauvery Neeravari Nigam has been urged to provide shelters to mahouts and kavadis at its guest houses.
The Forest Department has said that a total of 12 persons, mostly daily wagers, have died of elephant attack in 2016-17 and a compensation of Rs 5 lakh had been paid to the kin of those dead.
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