Daijiworld Media Network – Karkala

Karkala, Nov 3: The wild elephant that had claimed the lives of two farmers near Kerekatte in the Kudremukh National Park area has finally been captured by the forest department after an extensive two-day operation.

The lone tusker had been hiding in the forest near Bhagavathi Nature Camp within the Kudremukh National Park. The massive capture operation was carried out under the supervision of officials from the Mangaluru forest division and the Kudremukh wildlife division. Experienced teams and five trained elephants from Sakrebail in Shivamogga district, Dubare in Kodagu district, and Nagarahole Elephant Camp took part in the operation.

Using drones, forest officials conducted a widespread search in the hilly terrain of Kudremukh. The elephant was located near Bhagavathi Camp early in the morning and was captured by Sunday evening after meticulous planning. Over 50 forest officials and staff participated in the mission.

The elephant had recently attacked and killed two farmers — Harish Shetty (44) and Umesh (48) — in the Kerekadde area near Kerekatte. Following the incident, local residents had blocked the SK border in protest, demanding immediate capture of the elephant and adequate compensation for the victims’ families.

According to forest department sources, the captured elephant will undergo proper medical treatment before a decision is made on its relocation.