Madikeri: Following the intervention of chief minister’s political secretary and Virajpet MLA AS Ponnanna over the escalating human-elephant conflict in Kodagu during the assembly session, the state govt has approved the rescue of three wild elephants.The forest department has instructed officials to capture elephants that have been frequenting coffee plantations and attacking people.Speaking to reporters, Ponnanna referred to Monday’s incident in which a plantation worker was killed in an elephant attack. He said elephants repeatedly involved in conflict should be scientifically captured and relocated. He added that the forest department had initiated steps to rescue three such elephants.The operation began in Virajpet taluk on Tuesday. More than 70 forest department personnel, including members of the Rapid Response Team and range forest officers, are involved in tracking the elephants. Drones are being used in the operation, while trained elephants from the district’s elephant camps will assist in the capture mission.Virajpet assistant conservator of forests Taseen Banu said three male elephants in the Ammathi area had been identified for capture and that all standard operating procedures were being followed.Meanwhile, the Kodagu BJP staged a protest outside the office of the conservator of forests (Kodagu circle) in Madikeri on Monday evening, condemning the continuing elephant menace and the deaths of farmers and plantation workers caused by elephant attacks.
