Elephant kills farmer

A farmer was killed after being attacked by an elephant at Vaddarahalli in Chamarajanagar taluk, on Saturday.

The deceased has been identified as Basava Shetty (65).

He was living in a plot of land at the end of Biligiriranganatha Tiger Reserve (BTR) and had grown cauliflower in his farm. Elephants had entered his farm in search of fodder during the night. Alarmed by elephants destroying his crop, he attempted to force the elephants away from his land.

However, an enraged elephant attacked him and killed him on the spot.

Including the case of Basava Shetty, the number of victims who have succumbed to elephant attacks have risen to four in as many months.

A compensation of Rs four lakh was distributed to the family of the deceased.

No solar fence

Recurring entry of elephants from reserve forests to inhabited area has been attributed to the absence of a solar fence in a stretch of 12 kilometres from Moodalahosahalli and Bisalavadi at the edge of the forest.

A proposal of Rs 49.8 lakh to build solar fence and trench is yet to be approved by the state government.

Exhaustion of water sources in the tiger reserve is reported to draw wild animals out of the forest in search of water.