Bengaluru: Kumki elephants will be handed over to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on May 21, which will enhance friendly relations with the neighbouring state and provide a solution to the elephant-human conflict on the Karnataka border and in Andhra Pradesh, said Forest, Biology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will hand over the tamed elephants to Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Forest Minister Pawan Kalyan at a ceremonial function to be held on the steps in front of Vidhana Soudha, a statement said.

Khandre also said that these elephants are being handed over to Andhra Pradesh as part of the exchange of best practices agreement signed between Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala during the international conference on human-elephant conflict held in Bengaluru last August.

On August 8 last year, Pawan Kalyan had visited Bengaluru and met him and requested him to provide elephants to help in the capture of increasing poachers in Andhra Pradesh and to train the forest guards and forest personnel of his state in elephant capture operations.

On September 27, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the two states in this regard when a delegation led by him visited Vijayawada. He said that these elephants are being handed over on May 21.

Solution to border district elephant problem

Elephant-human conflict is also increasing in the Kolar district, which borders Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor, and the elephant capture operation to be carried out by Andhra Pradesh will also help prevent poachers from entering our state from neighboring Andhra Pradesh in the coming days. In this regard, the state will also benefit indirectly from the handover of Kumki elephants, said Eshwar Khandre.

No handover of Dasara elephants

Eshwar Khandre also clarified that no Kumki elephants that participated in Karnataka’s proud Dasara Mahotsav or that have already been identified for the Dasara Mahotsav are being given to Andhra Pradesh.