Elephant capture ‘Operation Makhna’ successful in Bannerghatta

Bengaluru: The operation to capture the ‘Makhna’ elephant, which was repeatedly running errands in the forest villages adjoining the national park and had killed three people, has been successful. Thus, the citizens of villages nearby forest are heaving a sigh of relief.

The presence of the elephant was monitored by drone for two days. Eight elephants were landed from Dubare and Mattigodu elephant camps on Saturday for the elephant capture operation. The entire team, including forest department staff and sharp shooters, had made complete preparations on Sunday itself.

The team left for the operation in the early hours of Monday and went to the place of the elephant around 6 o’clock. Ranjan, a short shooter, administered an anaesthetic injection to the Makhna elephant which was in the lowland place. The elephant was relieved after moving far about one km. After that the legs of the elephant Makhna was tied with thick ropes and led some distance with the help of Bhima and Mahendra. Later, with the help of a crane, the elephant was moved to a lorry and brought to the camp in Segekatta under Bannerghatta National Park.

Trained elephant Mahendra played an important role in the elephant capture operation. More than 100 people including DFO Prabhakar Priyadarshi of Bannerghatta National Park, sharpshooter Ranjan of Dubare elephant camp, doctors Ramesh, Kiran, Nagarahole elephant expert Ramesh, Bandipur elephant rescue expert Waseem, mahouts and kavadis participated in the operation.

Commenting on this, Bannerghatta National Park, DFO Prabhakar Priyadarshi said, “Currently the Makhna elephant is kept in a wooden kraal in the camp at Seegekatte. Some days the elephant has to be tamed. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Chief Wildlife Warden will decide how long they should be kept here,” he said.