Dasara elephant, which carried howdah 8 times, dies during attempt to capture wild tusker in Karnataka’s Hassan district

The operation was being carried out as several wild elephants were spotted near Yasalur. As many as five elephants were captured in the Hassan forest division in the last few days by the Forest department and radio collars were installed to track their movement.

During the operation, the tusker was enraged by the attempts to capture it. Even though forest officials fired in the air, the tusker went on to attack the team of four elephants and the forest staff. Three other elephants and the forest staff involved in the operation fled from the spot, while Arjuna stood his ground to take on the wild tusker.

Arjuna, according to Khandre, was a part of several operations to capture wild elephants in the past.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recalled the participation of Arjuna in Mysuru Dasara and condoled the demise. Taking to X, he said that the majestic walk of the elephant during the Dasara celebrations will remain etched in the memory of crores of Kannadigas.

ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಮೈಸೂರು ದಸರಾದ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಬಿಂದುವಾದ ಜಂಬೂಸವಾರಿಯನ್ನು ಎಂಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಕಾಲ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿ ನಡೆಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟು ಜನರ ಪ್ರೀತಿಪಾತ್ರವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಆನೆ ‘ಅರ್ಜುನ’ ಇನ್ನಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ನೋವಾಯಿತು.

ಬರೋಬ್ಬರಿ 750 ಕೆ.ಜಿ ತೂಕದ ಚಿನ್ನದ ಅಂಬಾರಿ ಹೊತ್ತು, ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸಂಯಮದಿಂದ ಮೆರವಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗುವ ಮೂಲಕ ತಾಯಿ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿಯ… pic.twitter.com/RA2cJka6kH

— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 4, 2023

This was the second death of an elephant reported in Karnataka during a rescue operation in the past three days. On December 2, an elephant died after forest officials tried to tranquilise the jumbo during an operation near Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru district. The Forest department has sought a report for alleged violation of norms as the pachyderm was tranquilised in the night.