In a significant step toward reducing human-elephant conflicts in Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Shivamogga, Karnataka’s Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre announced the establishment of an elephant camp at Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary.
Speaking at Kuvempu University during the sanctuary’s silver jubilee celebrations under the Tiger Project, Khandre stated that housing trained elephants in Bhadra would eliminate the need to bring them from Mysuru or Kodagu for elephant management operations.
A proposal has been submitted to develop a 2,000-hectare Elephant Soft Release Centre within the sanctuary. This initiative, spanning around 5,000 acres, will cultivate bamboo, jackfruit, and grass—elephants’ preferred food. Captured elephants will be relocated here, and the facility will be fortified with barricades to prevent escapes, effectively reducing conflicts in multiple districts.
Khandre also highlighted India’s rising tiger population, which has grown from 1,827 in 1980 to over 3,000 today. With more than 200 anti-poaching camps, poaching has been significantly curbed. The Bhadra Tiger Reserve alone is home to approximately 40 tigers.
Stressing the importance of biodiversity conservation, the minister urged the collective efforts of public representatives, officials, environmental groups, and citizens. To commemorate the occasion, a postal stamp, a new website, and a booklet dedicated to the reserve’s silver jubilee were released.
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