Wild elephant Sidda and his weeks of spirited fight before succumbing to injuries on December 9 is still etched in the memory of villagers of Manchanabele, Avverahalli, Chikkanahalli and Magadi of Ramanagara district. For them, the 35-year-old jumbo was like a community member. To keep Sidda’s memory alive, they now want to build a memorial or temple.
The venue will be decided during Thithi, the 11th day ritual following the death of the elephant, which the villagers and the forest department are planning to hold next week.
A senior official with the Ramanagar forest division said many villagers told him that Sidda’s death has left a vacuum in their life. “They want a memorial or temple built for Sidda as he was more than an animal for them. Some used to feed Sidda along with foresters. When he died, a large number of villagers came from faraway places to attend the burial,” he added.
The officer, who will take up the matter with higher-ups, said the main hurdle is finding land for the purpose. “Whether any villager will come forward to spare land or government property be made available, has to be looked into,” he added.
Chikkana M, a villager of Manchanabele, said they are ready to pool in money for the memorial. “Sidda was a favourite among village children. We have to do something to keep his memory alive,” he added.
Sidda had strayed out of the Bannerghatta National Park and injured its right front leg after falling into a ditch in August. The elephant turned up at Manchanabele reservoir, 40km west of Bengaluru, and nursed his injured leg in the waters. Several veterinarians, wildlife volunteers along with forest department officials, were attending him. Animal lovers and environmentalists had launched ‘Save Sidda’ campaign too. Sidda, who was partially blind, fought for life for three months. The elephant was buried inside Magadi forests, 10km from the dam.