Questions are being raised over the manner in which the Forest Department woke up to emergency calls that harried citizens made to the police, media and the forest department staff themselves, when two wild elephants strayed into Mysore city in the early hours of Wednesday. Was the Department too late to react to the anxious calls or was it ill-equipped to handle an unexpected situation, were the questions that many asked here during the capture of the elephant at Dhobi Ghat. “This is a lesson for the Forest Department to keep itself ready for any emergency related to animal attacks,” said Satish Naidu, who, along with his friend, kept track of the elephants that went on a rampage in the city, killing one person and injuring three others. Indeed, the city woke up to distressing TV visuals that showed the bull attacking a man, who eventually died. It also showed it attacking cattle. People also should be blamed in this incident as they threw stones at the animal making it furious, Mr. Naidu said.
Caught off guard
In this case, the Forest Department was completely caught off-guard. It needs to remain in readiness to tackle emergencies, said Mahalingappa, who was playing football at the pavilion grounds when the bull passed by. Another person who was with him recalled an incident in which a palace elephant unshackled itself and came out to stroll down the streets a few years ago, but harmed no one. The animal returned to the palace later. Such emergencies could not be ruled out, he said.
For Madaiah Naika, a watchman at a house under construction in Dhobi Ghat, his wife Jayasheela and two children, it was a horrifying scene to see the bull pass by their hut. Fortunately, the elephant turned the other way to find shelter in a small forested area. Rajamma, wife of another watchman, from nearby said she was petrified to see the animal pass at such a close distance. Doddamallappa from Salundi village was at hand to say, “think of the plight of the farmers who suffer from elephant attacks every day in remote areas close to forests”.
Ill-equipped
Some days ago, preparations were being made in Kodagu at Polibetta to capture one of the two wild elephants identified. The Forest Department had stated that the operations had begun, but there were no ropes, no medicines including the one required to immobilise the animal, leaving the staff in disarray. Medicines and veterinarians arrived only after days. Amidst cries from the people of the district who said translocation was no solution, the captured animal was shifted to Bandipur National Park. M.B. Prabhu, a member of the Elephant Core Committee, which had given recommendations to the government to contain the elephant problem in the State, feels that the same elephant has returned.
News of the elephants' presence had reached the forest officials as early as 6 a.m. but, they could not manage the experienced ‘kumkis’ (tamed elephants) either from K. Gudi, Balle or Murkal or Dubare camps in the following six hours. Field Director, Project Tiger, Ajay Mishra, told The Hindu at Dhobi Ghat that getting trucks to lift the elephants from the camps was too difficult as the vehicles had to go from Mysore to fetch them. In that case, trucks would come slowly and it could take at least five to six hours, Mr. Mishra said. He was informed about the elephants at 7 a.m. he said. The Forest Mobile Squad, wildlife staff, territorial staff along with officers had been put on job, Mr. Mishra stated.
