Rogue elephant to get radio collar, first in U’khand
DEHRADUN: The forest department will radio-collar the first elephant at Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR). The rogue tusker that was shifted from Haridwar to a protected area in Chilla will be collared.
The collar was transported from Coimbatore.
The tusker that killed two people in last one week and injured three, was zeroed down on Thursday night. After an operation of 12 hours, it was shifted to Rajaji. The officers took help of a crane machine to lift the animal and relocate it.
While the project of radio-collaring such elephants was on cards for the department, the 15-20 years old animal is to become the first elephant to be radio-collared in the state.
The officers will keep the elephant under observation for the next few days before releasing it. The collar will help keep a track on the tusker.
“The radio-collar from Coimbatore has reached and we will collar the animal,” Digvijay Singh Khati, chief wildlife warden said. Until filing of the report, officers along with experts of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and veterinarians were at the spot deciding when to collar the animal.
Elephant menace had posed risk to the lives of people and property.
As per forest estimates, over 120 people have been killed by elephants since Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in the year 2000 and about 130 elephants have died.