The Forest Department staff, on Monday, captured a trouble-causing tusker after sedating it with a tranquiliser dart near Shivanahalli-Kudige in Sakleshpur taluk.
The elephant, which had caused the death of two persons recently, was shot with a tranquiliser dart around 2.30 p.m.
R.N. Lakshman, Deputy Conservator of Forests, said that the wild elephant was aged about 25-30.
“We had been tracking it for the last five days. We succeeded in our efforts today. The elephant will be relocated to Mattigodu elephant camp in Nagarhole National Park on Tuesday,” he said.
After the tranquiliser dart was shot, the elephant ran for some distance due to the influence of the tranquiliser and then fell to the ground.
Venkatesh, forest guard, fired the tranquiliser dart successfully to sedate the elephant. This was the 60th elephant he has tranquilised in his career, which began in 1985.
“After the elephant was sighted, I and my colleague, Akram, walked close to the animal.
“As soon as I got a proper view of the animal, I fired the dart and this time, it was successful,” he said.
The animal was doused with water to help it cool down after it was sedated. With the help of domesticated elephants, it was pulled to the place where arrangements were made to keep it safe for a day.
Veterinarians Chittiappa, Umashankar and Nagaraj assisted the forest staff in the operation. As the news of successful operation spread, people gathered to have a look at the wild elephant in the custody of the tamed ones. However, a two-wheeler parked on the roadside was damaged when the wild elephant walked over it, even as it was being dragged by the tamed ones.
The department, which had obtained approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests to capture two elephants and translocate them, will continue the operation to capture the other elephant.
