Forest minister Eshwar Khandre condoles death of woman in Sakleshpur elephant attack

BIDAR: Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Tuesday expressed deep grief over the death of a 40-year-old woman in a wild elephant attack in Mugali village of Sakleshpur taluk of Hassan district.

He has instructed senior officials of the wildlife department to immediately rush to the site and take the necessary steps to either return the elephant to the forest or capture it. He has also instructed the Hassan Chief Conservator of Forests and the Deputy Conservator of Forests to immediately go to the site and address the situation.

“Every life is precious; a lost life cannot be brought back”, Eshwar B Khandre said. The minister expressed deep sorrow over the tragic death and assured the victim’s family that compensation would be provided as per government norms. He has consistently addressed the escalating human-elephant conflict in the region.

Khandre has also instructed taking all necessary precautionary measures to prevent harm to human life from wild animals, sending a warning message to locals about the movement of elephants, and deploying elephant task force personnel.

This incident follows previous elephant attacks in the area, prompting protests by local residents demanding effective measures to manage the wildlife threat. The Minister previously ordered the establishment of an Elephant Task Force (ETF) and the use of technologies such as thermal drones to monitor elephant movements in high-conflict zones.

Man-animal conflict in Karnataka is a persistent threat, exacerbated by habitat loss. The scope of human-wildlife conflict in Karnataka has reached alarming proportions, with the state recording over 34,000 incidents between 2019 and 2023. Recent data from the Karnataka Forest Department indicates that 35,580 wildlife conflict incidents occurred in the fiscal year 2024-25 alone.

Asian elephants dominate the conflict landscape, accounting for 63 per cent (22,483 cases) of all incidents in 2024-25. The financial implications are equally staggering, with the Karnataka government disbursing approximately Rs 27 crore in compensation to victims between 2019 and 2023. As of 2024, 14,245 cases involving Rs 22.82 crore in compensation remain pending. (ANI)