The Karnataka Forest Department officials, with the help of a team of tamed elephants, captured a wild tusker, which had been causing trouble to local people in a coffee estate at Vatehalli near Arehalli in Belur taluk of Hassan district on Thursday, April 18.
The department succeeded in capturing the elephant, which has been identified by the locals as Karadi, as soon as they began the operation that day. A team of guards and watchers tracked the animal, and it was sedated by firing a tranquillizer dart.
The wild tusker had been roaming the villages of Belur and Sakaleshpur taluks. Recently, it was spotted fighting with another tusker in the residential locality of Hullenahalli in Belur taluk. The locals had put pressure on the Forest Department to capture it. The animal, it is said, was responsible for the death of an agricultural labourer at Mattavara in Belur taluk on January 4.
Tamed elephants Abhimanyu, Karnataka Bhima, Harsha, Prashantha, Sugreeva, Dhananjaya, Ashwathama and Mahindra were involved in the exercise.
The officials have said the captured elephant will be shifted to Dubare elephant camp. The operation to capture a few other rogue elephants will continue in Hassan district. The department has sought the cooperation of the farmers and local people during the operation.
