IT’S CHRISTENING TIME AT DUBARE!

MADIKERI January 13, 2009

After capturing five elephants, it is christening time at Dubare elephant camp now.

The Mahouts were running around in a festive mood at the elephant training camp which houses around a dozen of them two days ago. The tribe’s families were ready with materials required for rituals.

Three tuskers out of the five, captured during Operation Elephant were given bath with the help of the tamed elephants Arjuna and others and prepared for the ceremony. Mahouts in the presence of Range Forest Officer Chinnappa and others named them as Ajjayya, Ganapa and Vijaya. Another tusker will be named after few days as it is yet to come to terms with the Mahouts. It can be recalled that one more tusker succumbed during the operation.

The forest department has decided to capture around ten tuskers at Siddapur – Maldare region and the elephants are creating havoc in the region. Many lives were claimed and properties and crops were continuously being damaged. Elephants were seen roaming inside estates and towns unabatedly.

The department is striving hard since a month to capture the wild elephants. The operation begins in wee hours as the tuskers set out and scatter early in the morning. Though there are many herds of elephants creating tension, the department has got permission to capture ten.

MLA TO STOP SHIFTING OF SERICULTURE CENTRE

MLA Appachu has said that he will try to stop shifting of Sericulture centre from Kudige.

His reaction comes as there is a move to shift the department which existed for years at Kudige. The decision to shift the department has come as Sericulture farming has seen considerable decrease in the district and the depart also could not reach its target. The department’s achievement was also zero percent.

Ranjan said that plans would be chalked out to activate the department and fill the vacant posts. People living in Somwarpet taluk will also be encouraged to take up sericulture. It is not viable at Madikeri and Virajpet due to continuous rainfall.