Animals do not have borders, says K’taka forest minister Eshwar Khandre

PTI, Feb 4, 2024, 8:57 AM IST

Bidar: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Saturday indicated that animals do not have borders and apparently objected to branding “wildlife” as belonging to one particular state.

The minister mourned the death of “Thaneer Komban”, an elephant which strayed from Karnataka into Kerala and died while it was driven back by the Kerala authority.

The elephant, which was captured after hours-long mission in Wayanad in Kerala on February 2 and transported to Karnataka, died on Saturday.

The minister took exception to transporting the elephant back to the state of its origin.

“Branding an elephant or any wildlife to a particular state and sending it back is not acceptable,” Khandre said.

The minister said he would discuss the matter with his Kerala counterpart.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, the minister emphasised the significance of forests as crucial habitats for animals, asserting that delineating boundaries between states is not justified for the well-being of wildlife.

Highlighting the interconnected landscape of Bandipur-Mudumalai-Nagarahole and Wayanad within the Nilgiri Biosphere, the minister emphasised the absence of natural boundaries for wildlife.

He called for a collective understanding that animals move freely in search of food and water, urging humans to coexist with wildlife, particularly elephants, which have roamed the Eastern and Western Ghats regions for millennia.

Expressing concern over the viral video depicting Kerala forest staff administering tranquilisers to “Tanneer,” Khandre acknowledged the sorrowful loss of the elephant and pledged to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

A statement issued by his office said “Tanneer” was among the 23 elephants found roaming in Belur and Sakleshpur ranges of Hassan district.

Fitted with a radio collar in Bandipur, the elephant crossed the Kabini river and was found at the Wayanad border in Kerala, it said.

Three deputy conservators of forests from Kerala and officials from Karnataka were present when the elephant was brought to Rampur elephant camp, the statement said.

The tusker was darted with tranquiliser shots twice before being loaded onto a truck with the help of kumki elephants for being transported to Bandipur in Karnataka on Friday night.

Earlier, it strayed into Mananthavady town in Wayanad and created panic in the area.

“After reaching Bandipur in the night, it was decided to conduct an examination before releasing the jumbo back into the forests,” Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran told reporters in Kozhikode.