After the death of a 14-year-old boy in an elephant attack at Kodagattavalli in Alur taluk on Sunday, the people of the region have intensified the demand for the capture of all elephants roaming in Alur and Sakleshpur taluks.
This is the third such death in the last two months. Since 2001, more than 50 people have died in elephant attacks in the two neighbouring taluks.
Bharat, a class 8 student and resident of Tanneeruhalla in Hassan, had been to his grandmother’s place to celebrate Sankranti when he encountered the elephant. According to villagers, the tusker trampled him to death. The villagers staged a protest with the body. Alur-Sakleshpur MLA H.K. Kumaraswamy met the protesters and said he had been putting pressure on the government to capture all elephants. “The response from the State government has not been satisfactory,” he said.
Deputy Conservator of Forests M.L. Manjunath and other officers visited the family of the deceased. A cheque of ₹2 lakh was handed over to the family.