Kadaba: Locals outraged after elephant capture operation called off

Kadaba/Subrahmanya: The operation to capture the wild tuskers has been stopped, just 3 days after it began.

The operation began on February 23, after outrage over the deaths of 2 locals in Renjiladi on February 20 in an elephant attack. The forest department had called in 5 trained elephants to assist in the capture of the wild herd.

One tusker was captured on February 23 in a forested area near Mandekara. The captured tusker, escorted by 2 trained elephants, was taken to Mattigodu elephant camp in Nagarahole.

The 3 trained elephants that were camped at the Forest department depot in Nettana returned on February 26.

Subrahmanya Zonal forest officer Raghavendra said that the elephants have been taken to assist in the ongoing ‘Operation Tiger’ in Kodagu.

Meanwhile, locals expressed their outrage over the premature suspension of the elephant capture operation. People of Nujibalthila, Renjiladi, Konaje, Kombaru, and Siribagilu are living in constant fear of elephant attacks, they said.

Locals further said they had seen a herd of 7 elephants — 4 adults and 3 calves — in Renjiladi village of Kadaba on Monday night. A lone tusker was reportedly sighted in the forest near Khandiga of Renjiladi village.