Man shoots at Dasara elephant Balarama after it enters farm, arrested

MYSURU: The police have arrested a farmer who had shot at Dasara elephant Balarama after it had accidentally entered his farm in Periyapatna taluk two days ago.

Balarama, the gentle giant, has carried the golden howdah during the famed Dasara procession on 14 occasions and now takes part as a Nishane Aane after the duty of carrying the howdah was given to Abhimanyu.

Balarama is housed at the Bheemanakatte elephant camp in the Nagarahole National Park. The camp elephants are usually let into the forest to feed and they return by evening.

Farm owner Suresh (squatting) has been arrested and remanded to judicial custody.

Two days ago, when Balarama did not return to the camp, the Forest Department staff went in search of him and found him lying wounded in Suresh’s farm at Alalur village in Periyapatna taluk. Balarama had sustained injuries in the left foreleg and in the stomach area.

The elephant was brought back to the camp and treated for its wounds. All the shrapnel have been removed and Balarama is out of danger, the officials said.

When questioned, Suresh said that he thought that a wild elephant had entered his farm at night and added that he did not know that it was a tamed one. He was arrested under the Wildlife Act and produced before a court which remanded him to judicial custody.