The Forest Department radio-collared two tuskers in Hassan district on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Forest Department radio-collared two tuskers in Hassan district on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Forest Department on Thursday successfully radio-collared two tuskers that have been roaming alone in Hassan district.

One was captured near Heggadde estate in Arehalli hobli of Belur taluk and another was captured near Hosmath estate in Belagodu hobli of Sakleshpur taluk. They were released after being fitted with radio collars. With that, the department concluded the operation that began on March 16.

The staff of the elephant task force and rapid response team had identified the lone tuskers that caused trouble while fixing radio collars. They had been tracking the animal for the last two days and succeeded in sedating them by firing tranquiliser darts.

The tuskers were let go after fastening radio collars, which would help the Forest Department track the animal, and with that, the staff could trace the movement of the entire herd and alert the local people about the movement of the herd.

Sourabh Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests of Hassan, said that in the operation that began on March 16, the department captured three elephants. Of them, two were shifted to the elephant camps. “The one was released in a distant place after fixing a radio collar. Again, on Thursday, the department captured two tuskers and released them back into the forest after fixing radio collars,” he said.

For the first time, the department used two radio collars developed indigenously. “The imported GSM radio collars weigh 7.6 kilos, and the cost was ₹5.6 lakh each. However, the native product, KP radio collars, weigh only 5.4 kilos and cost ₹1.8 lakh each. The indigenous radio collars could be repaired in Karnataka itself. The use of indigenous radio collars will help in mitigating human-elephant conflict,” the officer said.

The department launched an operation to capture trouble-causing elephants in Belur and Sakleshpur taluks of Hassan following the death of four people in elephant attacks in Hassan district. The operation involved officers from Hassan division, staff of the elephant task force, rapid response team, veterinarians, and the tamed elephants – Prashantha, Bheema, Kanjan, Harsha, Ekalavya, Dhananjaya, and Mahendra.