Forest officers finally nab rogue elephant after 18 days

Forest officers have finally caught the wild elephant that had terrorised the people in Channagiri taluk.

The tusker was nabbed near Mavinahole in Rangaiahanadurga forest range on Monday, in an operation that lasted 18 days. The elephant is aged between 18 and 25 years, and has been shifted to the Bandipur forests in Mysore district, according to Channagiri Range Forest Officer Shankarnaik. 

The forest department launched the operation after the rogue elephant was reportedly spotted in Ubrani, Mavinahole, Joladahal and Kukkuvada in forests of Channagiri taluk forest range limits. The elephant trampled two men to death, besides injuring two others, in Bhadravathi taluk of Shimoga district and Channagiri taluk. It also damaged crops and property, terrorising the villagers in the fringes of the Channagiri forest range. 

The rogue wild tusker was first reported to have been sighted in a banana plantation at Kodihosur village in Bhadravathi taluk on May 27 and strayed into forest of Shimoga and Davangere district from the Bannerghatta forest range. 

Over 50 forest officers, besides eight tamed elephants brought from the Sakrebailu elephant camp in Shimoga district, the Nagarahole elephant camp in Mysore district and the Dandeli forests, were involved in the operation.