Rogue jumbos sent to Bandipur forest

Aged about 14 and eight,  the pachyderms were driven to the forest in two separate trucks before being released in the jungle. The wild animals, which had st­rayed into the city on We­dnesday, spreading panic and engaging in a gory battle for hours, were finally reined in by the forest guards who used  tranquilisers.

The rogue jumbos had to spend the whole night in the city as the authorities concerned stood divided over  their fate. After much discussion, the officials decided to send them back to Bandipur National Park instead of leaving them at the elephant training camps at Moorkal, K Gudi or Dubare.

A senior forest official told Deccan Herald that four elephants—Arjuna, Abhimanyu, Gajendra and Srirama from the Nagarhole National Park, Balle and K Gudi assisted the forest staff in loading the “makhna” elephant into a truck. A temporary ramp was created near the Herbal Medicinal Garden near the Kukkarahalli Tank and the tamed elephants had a tough time pushing the “makhna” elephant to board the truck.

The elephant was  tied tightly with ropes and its journey towards Bandipur forests began around 10 am.  Veterinarian Dr Khadri, Deputy Conservator of Forest Vijayranjan Singh and Assistant Conservator of Forest Belliappa escorted the truck.

There was not much of resistance from the young tusker that killed the ATM security guard, Renukaswamy at a small lane off Narayanashastri Road. The tamed elephants tucked the young one into the truck with their trunks.

It took at least two hours for the forest authorities to tie the tusker. The decision to leave the elephants in forests was taken considering their age.

“If they were sent to the elephant camps perhaps both of them would have to spend the rest of their lives attending department works.

“The elephants were from the wilderness without any exposure to urban areas. The pachyderms turned offensive and attacked the people fearing threat to their security.

Had they stayed together after entering the city, they would not have had targeted anybody,” an official opined. The elephants had come from Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Malavalli taluk of Mandya district,  separated from the herd, and proceeded  towards Bannur out of confusion.  In fact, a few forest department officials were camping on the borders of Mysore and Mandya districts to drive back those pachyderms into the forests.

While the operation was suspended after dark, these two elephants gave the officials the slip and took the Mysore route.

“Bandipur and Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuaries are in the opposite directions and there are no chances of these elephants revisiting the City of Palaces again,” the official asserted.