Movement of elephants at Kundukere range in Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Credit: DH File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: A youth from Kerala has been ordered to pay a fine of Rs. 25,000 and made to tender a written apology for trespassing into the Bandipur forest area and trying to provoke a herd of wild elephants.
A Kerala-based wildlife activist had taken up the matter with the Karnataka forest authorities after a video footage of the incident that took place on April 13 went viral on social media.
Abdul Jaleel hailing from Noolpuzha near Sultan Bathery in Wayanad had entered the forest along the Muthanga-Bandipur national highway on April 13 and tried to provoke wild elephants. He did the act by ignoring the warning of other travelers.
Wildlife activist Satheesh Kumar lodged a complaint with the Bandipur Tiger Reserve Authorities. The forest officials traced the accused with the help of the registration number of the vehicle he used. He was summoned by the Karnataka forest officials and imposed the fine and made to give a written apology assuring that he would not report.
Satheesh said that the forest officials informed him of the action taken against the youth. He urged the Kerala forest authorities also to take stringent actions against such offences so that it would act as deterrence.
"Several such instances are being reported from the forest areas of Kerala too. Such instances even end up in man-animal conflicts leading to human deaths. Hence stringent actions could even serve as deterrence in such cases," he said.