JOIN USAccording to officials, the State Government had given permission to the rogue elephants nearly five months ago. But, it was delayed due to some technical and administrative approvals as well as lack of preparedness for the operation. Besides, deployment of department staff for the poll duty and other activities had prevented the forest department from launching the operation.
However, the department has cleared all the hurdles now and is ready for the operation.
As a prelude to the operation, the department staff has opened camps in Kerodi of Sakleshpur taluk, Hemmige in Alur taluk, Kaganur and other places. Recently, the department had held a similar operation in Madikeri and Doddabetta situated near the backwaters of River Hemavathi.
Team arrives
With the completion of operation there, now a team of tamed expert jumbos that actively participated in Madikeri operation, arrived in Hassan on Saturday.
Expert elephant catcher, Venkatesh along with four scientists and experts have already come to Hassan. Veterinarians from Nagarhole, Mysore and Sakrebail have also come along with medicines to dart the rogue elephants. The trained elephants, Vikram, Harsha, Gajendra, Abhimanyu and Srirama are all set to catch two rogue elephants.
26 wild elephants
Forest Officer Mandanna informed that around 26 wild elephants are moving in the surrounding areas of Kerodi. The weather is perfect to launch the operation.
Once it is started, they may require four to five days to nab those trouble-making elephants. In all possibility, the operation will be completed before the onset of monsoon, he said.