Jumbo kills 60-year-old out on morning walk on Mysuru Road

BENGALURU: A 60-year-old man died in an elephant attack around 5.10 am Monday, near Kumbalgodu in Bengaluru.

Key points

• Forest Minister R Ramalinga Reddy visited Rajarajeshwari Medical College Hospital where Nagaraja's postmortem was being conducted, and consoled the family.
• Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy remarked, This is the first time such an incident has happened previously 5-6years in this part of the city.
• When he was attacked by the sub-adult elephant, nagaraja was on a morning walk with his daughter near Rajarajeshwari Medical College, along Mysuru Road.
• Nagaraja, a resident of Anchepalya village near Kengeri hobli, is survived by his 58-year-old wife Lalitha and four daughters.
• Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, wildlife, Kumar Pushkar remarked a close watch is being kept in the area and the elephant is being tracked.

When he was attacked by the sub-adult elephant, nagaraja was on a morning walk with his daughter near Rajarajeshwari Medical College, along Mysuru Road. The lone makhana (tuskless male) is suspected to have separated from his herd and strayed into human habitation.

Nagaraja, a resident of Anchepalya village near Kengeri hobli, is survived by his 58-year-old wife Lalitha and four daughters. CCTV camera footage recovered from residential and commercial units in and around the hospital indicated the elephant walking through city roads late at night and then rushing back into the forest patches.

Jumbo strayed out of BNP, patrol teams, drones try to locate it.

Forest Minister Ramalinga Reddy remarked, "This is the first time such an incident has happened previously 5-6years in this part of the city. It is particularly unfortunate. The family will be given due compensation of Rs 20 lakh along with Rs 4, 000 as pension. To prevent such incidents in future, a session will be held with forest office-holders, particularly on strengthening corridors."

Reddy remarked he had additionally spoken to forest authorities on either driving the elephant back into the forest patch or capturing it. After being captured, it will either be sent to Dubare elephant camp or elsewhere. Apart from patrolling, foresters are using drones to trace the elephant, he remarked.

According to Forest authorities, earlier, elephants applied to migrate from Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) to UM Kaval forest patch, through Roerich Estate to BM Kaval state forest, before heading to Savanadurga on Magadi Road and to Tumakuru and back.

This was their traditional path in September-October, during the harvest period. But now with the construction of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and an overbridge for elephants connecting to BM Kaval, incidents of elephants straying into human habitation has reduced.

Additionally, with climbed barricading and urbanisation, elephant movement has reduced. Around 19km of barricading has been done along BNP, near Hakki Pikki Colony, to curtail the movement of elephants. Nevertheless, in this case the lone elephant is suspected to have secured lost after separating from his herd.

Authorities stated the makhana had strayed out of BNP and was camping in BM Kaval state forest for three days. Foresters were tracking the elephant late Sunday night and around 3am Monday, it took a different exit from BM Kaval. Its strayed along the expressway and NICE Road before walking through urban habitation. It broke a portion of the medical college wall and attacked the man.

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, wildlife, Kumar Pushkar remarked a close watch is being kept in the area and the elephant is being tracked. This is the first time such an incident has happened previously few years. Over the years, crop loss and conflict in these regions have additionally come down due to barricading, he went on.

Bengaluru Urban Deputy Conservator of Forests Y Chakrapani remarked drone cameras and staffers of the elephant task force from Bengaluru Urban BNP and Ramanagara have additionally been pressed into action for tracking the elephant.

Taken together, the developments around jumbo kills 60-year-old out on morning walk on Mysuru Road point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.