Mysuru: A 48-year-old fisherman was killed in a wild elephant attack in the BRT Tiger Reserve on Thursday while he was preparing to fish in the backwaters of the Suvarnavathi reservoir in the K Gudi Wildlife Range, forest officials said.
The deceased was identified as Mahadeva, a member of the Soliga tribal community and a resident of Kulluru village in Chamarajanagar taluk. According to BRT Tiger Reserve Deputy Conservator of Forests and Director B S Sripathi, Mahadeva was attacked by a wild elephant while setting up to catch fish in the reservoir backwaters.
The incident was reported on September 24 and comes amid continuing instances of human-wildlife interaction in forest-edge areas of the region.
Attack reported in K Gudi Wildlife Range
The incident occurred within the K Gudi Wildlife Range of the BRT Tiger Reserve.
Mahadeva had gone to the backwaters of the Suvarnavathi reservoir in connection with fishing when the elephant attacked him. Details about what triggered the encounter were not immediately available.
Forest department personnel from the K Gudi Wildlife Range reached the location soon after receiving information about the incident and inspected the site.
Officials subsequently shifted the body to Chamarajanagar District Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Following completion of the required procedures, the body was handed over to Mahadeva’s legal heirs for the last rites, according to forest officials.
Forest officials visit family
After the incident, officials from the Forest Department visited Mahadeva’s family.
The department also handed over Rs 5 lakh in compensation to the family, as reported by Times of India.
The compensation was provided following the fatal wildlife encounter inside the tiger reserve.
The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by people who depend on forest and reservoir areas for their livelihoods and other activities.
BRT Tiger Reserve and human-wildlife encounters
The Biligiriranga Hills Tiger Reserve, commonly known as BRT Tiger Reserve, is an important wildlife habitat in southern Karnataka.
The reserve spans forested landscapes in Chamarajanagar district and supports elephants, tigers and several other species. Villages and communities located around forest boundaries continue to have interactions with wildlife, particularly when people enter forest or adjoining areas for agriculture, fishing and other livelihood-related activities.
Such encounters can become dangerous when people and wild animals come into close proximity.
The latest incident occurred in the backwaters of the Suvarnavathi reservoir, an area within the K Gudi Wildlife Range.
Recent elephant attacks in the region
The death comes shortly after another fatal elephant encounter was reported in the wider Mysuru region.
On September 22, a wild elephant reportedly attacked two farmers travelling on a motorcycle near Kadagere village in Saragur. One of them, 62-year-old Veerabhadregowda, died, while another farmer, Mahesh, was injured. The elephant was reported to have moved out from the Hediyala Forest Range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
The incidents underline the continuing challenges associated with human-elephant interactions across forest and agricultural landscapes in southern Karnataka.
However, the circumstances of each encounter differ and investigations and field assessments by forest officials are required before drawing conclusions about the behaviour of individual animals.
Importance of precautions near forest areas
The latest incident also underlines the need for caution among people entering forest areas and wildlife habitats.
Activities such as fishing, agriculture and collection of forest produce can bring residents into areas where wild animals may be present. Forest officials generally advise people living near protected areas to remain alert and follow local advisories regarding wildlife movement.
For forest authorities, monitoring animal movement and informing local communities about the presence of elephants are important parts of managing human-wildlife interactions.
Post-mortem and official procedures completed
Following the attack, K Gudi Wildlife Range staff conducted an inspection of the location.
The deceased’s body was transported to Chamarajanagar District Hospital for post-mortem examination. After the examination and completion of necessary procedures, it was handed over to the family.
Forest officials subsequently visited the family and provided the reported compensation of Rs 5 lakh.
The incident has been recorded by the Forest Department as a fatal wildlife attack.
Need for continued monitoring
The BRT landscape is home to a significant population of wild elephants, making monitoring of elephant movement particularly important in areas where people live or undertake livelihood activities close to forests.
The latest death also places attention on vulnerable locations such as reservoir backwaters and forest-edge areas where people may encounter wildlife unexpectedly.
Community awareness, timely alerts about animal movement and coordination between forest officials and local residents are among the measures used to reduce the possibility of such encounters.
Conclusion
The death of 48-year-old Soliga fisherman Mahadeva in an elephant attack at the Suvarnavathi reservoir backwaters in the BRT Tiger Reserve has brought renewed attention to human-wildlife interactions in Chamarajanagar.
Forest officials inspected the site, the body was taken to Chamarajanagar District Hospital for post-mortem and Rs 5 lakh compensation was handed over to the deceased’s legal heirs.
As communities continue to depend on areas around forests and reservoirs, continued monitoring, local alerts and safety awareness remain important in reducing the risks associated with encounters between people and wild animals.