Chamarajanagara: Everyday thousand tourists visit Chamarajanagara District as it has many tourist spots. Tourists offer pooja at the famous Male Mahadeshwara Temple and Biligiriranganatha Swamy Temple, to view Bandipura Wildlife Sanctuary, Gaganachikki, Bharachukki falls and enjoy an elephant safari.
The Bandipura Tiger Reserve (BTR) also attracts a large number of tourists, particularly wildlife lovers. The BTR have a forest department elephant camp in Ramapura where the department has 21 elephants.
Now, the forest officials planned to open a second elephant camp in the BTR area by shifting 7 elephants. It is said that the new elephant camp will come up near Bandipura old elephant safari ticket counter.
Speaking to mediaperson Bandipura Conservator of forests Ramesh said that the present Ramapura elephant camp has 21 elephants including 4 calves. These many elephants are excess in the camp as the camp has a capacity of only 14 elephants. It is inevitable to shift excess elephants to another place and he already appealed to State Forest Minister Umesh Kathi during his visit to Bandipura last week.
If the higher authorities in the State Forest Department give permission to set up another camp that will also become another tourist spot in BTR.
The Kodagu Forest officials have already set up another elephant camp near Harangi reservoir. The official’s decision is owing to the excess number of elephants in Dubare elephant camp. At present, the famous Dubare elephant camp have 32 elephants. The officials face hardships to provide fodder and a shortage of space.
The State Government also permitted to establish elephant camp beside the reservoir, which would attract more tourists in future.
Over 90 per cent of the works have been completed at the Harangi Elephant Camp and interestingly, the Camp houses a Tree Park, also in the same vicinity. The State Government released Rs. 1.38 Crore for construction of Tree Park.
The place, located near the Harangi Dam backwaters, is ideal to set up the elephant camp. The camp coming up on 20 acres of area in Athur Range Forest, which has an area of 2,000 acres and it is an ideal elephant habitat with plenty of water and green swathes.
Four houses have been built for the mahouts and their families to stay in, as well as a large kitchen for preparing food for the elephants and store rooms. Basic facilities including toilets have been constructed for tourists who come there.
Borewells have been sunk to provide a steady stream of water and as the land comes near the Harangi Dam backwaters, there is no shortage of groundwater. Electricity works are on now at the camp and enough care is being taken to ensure that the forest area is not damaged while erecting the power poles and when the power lines are drawn.
The funds for the camp have been released from Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Apart from setting up a new elephant camp, there are plans to initiate other related development programmes including developing the camp as a tourist centre and at the same time provide shelter to the elephants.
