The officers of Chikkamagaluru Circle of the Forest Department have identified four places within Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 492.30 sqkm, for the release of elephants.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Forest Department is working out a plan for the capture and rehabilitation of wild elephants causing trouble in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu districts through their “soft-release” into the wild. This involves releasing them in a phased manner to the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, after keeping them in an enclosure spread over 20 sqkm for a few months.
Roughly 200 elephants have been roaming in different parts of the three districts, leaving the local people in constant worry. They keep raiding crops and attacking human beings. The local people have staged protests on multiple occasions demanding the government capture all the elephants in the region.
Soft-release sites
The officers of Chikkamagaluru Circle of the Forest Department have identified four places within Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, spread over 492.30 sqkm, for their release. The sanctuary already has roughly 450 elephants. According to officers, the area can accommodate 200 more, considering its carrying capacity.
The places had been identified considering the availability of water, forage, road connectivity and being free from human activity. One among these four places will be finalised to set up the enclosure measuring about 20 sqkm.
The enclosure will be separated from the rest of the area by railway barricades. The elephants captured will be released to the enclosure and monitored for a few months. A team of veterinarians will keep an eye on the behaviour of the elephants from the vet centre attached to the enclosure, a senior officer of the Department said.
The ‘soft-release’ sites have been identified considering the availability of water, forage, road connectivity and being free from human activity.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The place will have sufficient natural food and assisted natural food for the animals. Whenever required, the veterinarians will provide medicine darts. “During those months, the animals have no interaction with human beings. Only after they are acclimatised to the environment and the veterinarians find them fit to be released to the sanctuary will the gate leading to the forest be opened,” the officer added.
Expert team
An experiment on similar lines had been done in West Bengal. The Forest Department has decided to implement the plan under the guidance of a team headed by Dr. R. Sukumar, honorary professor of the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru, known for his experience in wildlife management. The team includes senior officers of the department, including R. Manoj, APCCF of the Elephant Project, Chief Conservator of Forests (Development) of Hassan and Chikkamagaluru circles, among others.
“The team has already met twice in Bengaluru. The team will be visiting the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary either in the last week of March or early April to finalise the site. The primary criteria to finalise the site is that it should be free from human intervention,” said Yashpal Kshirasagar, Conservator of Forests of Chikkamagaluru Circle.
Published – March 23, 2025 05:01 pm IST
