×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

12 jumbos shifted from Aanechowkur camp

Lack of fodder forces Forest Department officials to move elephants
Last Updated 01 June 2016, 18:16 IST

The drought-like situation had affected not only the coffee and pepper growers in the district, but also the tamed elephants. 

The tamed elephants at Aanechowkur camp at Muthigodu were affected due to lack of availability of fodder. As a result, they were shifted to other camps. The elephants that left the camp in January are yet to return there. 

The elephant camp tames rogue elephants. At present, there are 23 elephants, including three rogue elephants, recently captured at Chamarajnagar, in the camp. There were 35 elephants in December. With the drought-like situation, the camp faced shortage of bamboo, banyan leaves and peepal leaves, that are used as fodder for the elephants. The water bodies inside the forest had gone dry.

 Realising the gravity of the situation, the officials at the camp sent 12 elephants to Kallahalli camp, Veeranahosahalli camp and the Hunasoor range. As the region failed to get good rainfall, the elephants have not been brought back to the camp.“The elephants require a lot of water during summer. As the bamboos had flowered last year, there was shortage of bamboo this year. The tamed elephants are sent to forest daily, for grazing. Due to shortage of rain last year, however, the trees had gone dry during the summer. This resulted in shortage of fodder for the elephants. On the directions of the veterinary doctors, the tamed elephants were shifted,” said a staff member of the Forest Department. 

“The elephants are fed with hay as well. We are expecting good rainfall this monsoon. The rainfall will help the leaves grow in the forest. Good rainfall will ensure that there is no shortage of food for the elephants,” said the staff member. 

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 01 June 2016, 18:16 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT