2 more killed as tuskers rage on

Davanagere: Two more farmers were killed and another two injured in an elephant attack in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district on Friday. The elephants have killed four farmers in the last five days. The deceased are Eshwar Naik, 65, and Ramesh, 55, residents of Hosanagar under Basavapatna police station limits in Channagiri taluk.

Eshwar Naik was killed on the spot when the tusker attacked him while he was working in his field. Ramesh succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Shivamogga.

An injured Ganesh from Hosanagar was rushed to SS High-tech Hospital in Davanagere where he was operated upon. He is critical.

Ganesh has a spinal injury, his kidneys have been damaged and is on ventilator, said Dr Kalappanavar, the hospital director. Hanumantha Naik who sustained minor injuries is being treated at Davanagere District Hospital.

The two tuskers also damaged two motorbikes parked on the road side, killed a calf, and injured two buffaloes in a farm house.

The tuskers have separated and wandered off in different directions making the task of forest officials waiting to catch them more difficult, said Channagiri RFO Veeresh Naik. The tuskers travelled through the jungles of Tyavanagi, Kashipura, Doddaghatta, Hosur, Sulekeregudda, before stationing themselves at Hosanagar which has a lot of standing crops, the RFO added.

"We have deployed a drone to trace their movements. Revenue, police and forest officials are monitoring the movement of tuskers, he added. Two separate task force groups are monitoring the Basavapatna side and another one in Channagiri side to locate the tuskers," he added.

The RFO hoped the tuskers will enter Bhadra sanctuary after their trek through Mavinakatte and Joladalugudda forests.

The public have been advised not to harass or make loud noises which can enrage the elephants.

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