Dehradun: After killing six persons over
the last two months, a rogue tusker prowling Uttarakhand`s Narendranagar-Rishikesh forest division attacked a female elephant which was brought from the Jim Corbett National park
for the combing operation.
The female elephant, Gomti, was badly injured in the
nearly half an hour attack, which took place at Sushila Tiwari
herbal garden near here last night, said forest officials.
A team of wildlife experts rushed to the spot and fired
a tranquiliser at the 50-year-old pachyderm but it managed to
escape.
"We are trying to track the location of the tusker. This
time we are hopeful of capturing it alive by giving a slightly
higher doze of sedative," said DVS Khati, Chief Conservator
of Forests, Garhwal division.
Along with Gomti, two other elephants have been brought
from Jim Corbett National park to track down the rogue tusker,
he said.
Meanwhile, the tusker has caused panic around the
Rishikesh-Narendranagar forest division, with surrounding
areas wearing a deserted look towards dusk.
Uttarakhand Chief Wildlife Warden SS Sharma had issued
orders on November 9 to kill the elephant amid mounting
protests by locals in the area.
However, some animal rights activists petitioned against
this move, following which Sharma asked forest authorities to
tranquilise the tusker and shift it to Rajaji National Park
instead.
PTI
