Forest dept builds kraals to tame captured elephants

Four structures will be built at Dubare camp to accommodate eight jumbos

Even as the forest department officials are preparing an action plan to capture 23 wild elephants that have turned out to be trouble makers in Kodagu-Hassan border area, preparations are made simultaneously for constructing kraal to tame elephants, at Dubare in Kodagu.

Dubare, surrounded by Cauvery river is well known for the elephant camp. Expert mahouts and kavadis tame and look after the elephants using the best of their abilities. As the land is surrounded by river, it is best suited for taming elephants. 

The forest department has now planned to bring majority of the elephants that are captured in Kodagu-Hassan border areas, to Dubare for taming. Meanwhile, work on construction of kraal for taming elephants at Ranigate and Mathugodu camps are under progress and the department has plans to construct kraals at Bandipur in Mysore district and Sakrebail camp at Shimoga, said sources in the forest department.

Speaking to Deccan Herald mahout Dobi said that kraals are built using the tamed elephants in the camp. Wooden logs of eucalyptus available in Dubare forest are used in building the strong kraals, he said.

On the space availability at kraal, he said one kraal can accommodate two elephants, and the department has plans to construct four kraals in Dubare, enabling taming of eight elephants at a time. With expert mahouts and kavadis, a wild elephant can be tamed within four months.

Kodagu Circle Chief Conservator of Forest Brijesh Kumar Dixith said that people are largely facing problem from wild elephants at Shanivarasanthe in the border area of Kodagu district and Alur of Hassan district. The elephants which have at present taken shelter at Alur, might have created rampant in Shanivarasanthe. Therefore, officers from Kodagu circle too have been deployed in the operation to capture elephants, he said.

Speaking about the nature of elephants, he said elephants are emotional in nature. They share a strong bond between female, male and calves. They pass on the message to other elephants whenever they face danger. “As elephantas move in herds, there are all possibilities of one herd of elephants passing the message to other herds when they sense danger of humanbeings  effort to catch them.

 The department is studying all the possibilities and is planning to attack all the herds at a time in order to capture them. We are waiting for a right opportunity,” he said.