The COVID-19 advisory to monitor the health of captive tigers has now been extended to captive elephants in the State.
Manoj Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Nagarahole, told The Hindu that there is no specific advisory from the directorate of Project Elephant. But a communiqué has been issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) to ensure sanitary conditions in jungle camps and to reduce human contact with elephants, he said.
The initial advisory on the imperatives of monitoring the tigers and other big cats came from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) consequent to a tiger in Bronx zoo testing positive for COVID-19. However, the forest department in Karnataka through it fit to ensure safety of the elephants in the jungle camps and has decided to follow similar protocols in case of captive elephants as well.
These elephants are captured from the wild on being marked as “troublesome” and indulging in crop raiding. They are darted, tranquillized, chained, and led to the crawls and tamed before being declared fit to serve in combing operations or in capturing other elephants that stray into human landscape. Some are rescued from circuses or have been sold to temples. Karnataka has nearly 150 captive elephants including those under the Forest Department. While there are 14 camp elephants in Bandipur, there are 61 in Nagarahole jurisdiction. There are 6 elephants at the Mysuru palace apart from those housed at Sakrebail in Shivamogga K.Gudi in BRT Tiger Reserve while a few temples also have elephants in their custody.
Each elephant is assigned to a mahout and his assistant or kavadi who bathe, provide water, fodder, and maintain a general watch over them. In the wake of the advisory, the authorities have conducted health camps for mahouts and their families in the jungle camps and instructed them to minimise socialising with the public in their hamlet.
Mr. Kumar said the premises of the mahouts and kavadis have been disinfected and even the ration they receive through PDS is subjected to screening. Masks and sanitizers have been distributed while the practice of scrubbing the elephants when they bathe, has been discontinued. Nagarahole veterinarian Muijb said the camp elephants are allowed to water bodies and physical contact with mahouts has been reduced.
Meanwhile, the big cats in the jungles are under watch and camera traps installed to assess their density and presence have been switched to video mode to ascertain if there are health issues evident in their gait.
