(IN): Enraged farmer kills elephant near Bandipur

[Guest guest]

This guy will also get away, and such incidents will only serve as a model

to the 'farmer', the 'encroacher' & the 'land grabber' to go for more in a

nation which has always kept all of above on HIGH PRIORITY while the animals

on conflict- the LOWEST.

Azam

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4937978.cms

 

Enraged farmer kills elephant near Bandipur

 

TNN 26 August 2009, 10:18pm IST

 

BANGALORE: How angry can you get at an animal? Though human-animal conflict

is a regular event with more and more wild habitats being encroached, wrath

like this is rare. A farmer near Bandipur reserve shot a young elephant dead

when she was about to enter his farm on Wednesday.

 

Even while crop compensation packages have almost been tripled, fear and

intolerance still persist among farmers who live on the border areas.

 

The female elephant was six years old and was grazing with three other

elephants in a herd. According to Deputy Conservator of Forests of Bandipur

Tiger Reserve, Raju, the elephant strayed in to the ragi farm, which is

around 2 kms away from the forest. Mada Shetty, the farmer, allegedly shot

the elephant on its forehead as soon as it was spotted near the farm.

 

One bullet hit his forehead while the other pierced through his eyelid. The

animal collapsed on the spot. " Since she was shot on the head, she succumbed

immediately. We are not sure how the farmer got access to the revolver and

what kind of a weapon it is. Once the body is opened, we can identify if

these are muzzle loader bullet or not. But from the injuries, we are sure

that she was shot, " he said.

 

Farmers with weapons are supposed to get them registered with the forest

department. " It was just ragi and the elephant did not even destroy the

crop. We don't understand why he reacted so violently. Shetty is

absconding, " he added.

 

Though the forest staff say that legal action will be taken and a team of

police officials and a doctor are investigating the spot, they are quite

shocked by the incident. Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests,

BK Singh said " It is definitely not common for framers to shoot down

elephants or other animals. Either they dig a trench or use dry chillis.

This behaviour is abnormal and disappointing. The crop compensation package

has been increased so that we can limit the deaths of animals due to such

conflicts. I don't understand why he shot the elephant so brutally, " he

said.

 

Currently, for every quintal of damaged Ragi the department is paying Rs

600. Human-elephant conflict is more common near the estates of Coorg but

off late, it has been happening regularly in other forest areas as well. The

farm where the elephant was shot is in Doddaburgi village and is not a very

conflict prone area.

 

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