Taming captured wild elephant Ranga may take a little longer

Wild elephant Ranga, who was captured on Sunday, is feeling restless in his new surroundings. The tusker, aged around 50, is confined to a 10 ft x10 ft stockade and is trying to break free.

Mahouts Diwakar and Krishna from Nagarahole Tiger Reserve have been summoned to look after Ranga. Veterinarians and officials from Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) are also monitoring him.

Dr Kshama L M, veterinary officer at BNP, in charge of looking after Ranga, told DH that the elephant is fine and healthy. He is violent by nature and it is also natural for any animal to be aggressive when his freedom is curtailed, she said.

She said wild tuskers are normally required to be kept in kraals for two to three months to be tamed. But with Ranga, it seems he will have to stay a little longer, till his temper comes down and is able to adapt to the new environment, she added.

Another forester said that though Ranga is not new to the BBP elephant enclosure and to the female camp elephants, he is still restless. As soon as the effect of the tranquilliser wore off by noon, he tried to shake and break the stockade. He is not letting anyone get close to him.

Javed Akhtar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BNP, said the elephant is under observation and will be under close watch for at least two to three days. A decision on whether to house him here at BBP, send him to another camp or release him back to the wild, has to be taken by the chief wildlife warden.