IAS officer feeding wild jumbo in Chamarajanagar draws flak

Photos of an IAS officer posing with a wild elephant and feeding it at Himavad Gopalswamy Betta, behind Gopalswamy Temple, in Gunlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district, has gone viral on social media.

B B Cauvery, now Director, Directorate of Urban Development, has advertently or inadvertently, transgressed wildlife regulations, by feeding a wild elephant on the Gopalswamy Hill under Bandipur Tiger Reserve. She had visited the temple on Wednesday.

“It is baffling that the Forest Department officials have allowed the temple personnel and also devotees to lure and feed elephants. Elephants are frequent visitors to the temple to relish the 'prasada' offered by the temple staff and devotees,” said environment activists.

“The results could impact local communities on the periphery of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Elephants could enter hamlets, expecting people to offer fruits and other food items. But whenever there is a human casualty, it will be the elephants who will be blamed as rogues. Then they will be captured and kept in an elephant camp,” said nature activists.

If the range forest officer and other personnel of Gopalswamy Betta range had been vigilant, they could have cautioned the temple staff to avoid such offerings, they said.
Bandipur Project Director was not available for comment.