Arjuna with Mavuta Doda Masti who made him a hero.
Credit: DH Photo
Mysuru: Exactly three days since the death of Dasara Elephant Arjuna, Nagarahole Tiger Reserve veterinarian Dr H Ramesha, who was part of the Operation, in an hour long exclusive interview with DH, accepted the fact that the accidentally fired dart had by chance pricked the right leg of an elephant - only it was Prashantha and not Arjuna.
But, they were not provided with guns with bullets, and they were only provided with double barrel guns with cycle balls (steel balls), so there is no question of a bullet pricking the late Arjuna's leg, he said.
He also accepted that the left leg of Arjuna was injured and a nail had come out after a wooden piece had pricked its leg during the operation. He revealed that it was only due to the heavy fight with the wild elephant that Arjuna died.
Dr Ramesha who is recovering from the mild physical injury and the trauma of the critical operation and pain of losing Arjuna, revealed every bit of the Operation operation at KFDC grove near Dabballi Katte in Yesalur range of Hassan division.
He explained, "On Monday around 11 am, after pooja we left for the operation, and we were asked to dart and capture only problematic wild elephant Vikranth and another elephant which looked like Karnataka Bheema. I was sitting on Arjuna along with Vinu, Gundu Mahout of Karnataka Bheema, Anila, a forest employee. DRFO Dubaare elephant camp Ranjan was sitting on elephant Prashantha. It was a 'gutthi' forest with a lot of bushes. We saw a big wild elephant's back, but without seeing its face, we could not confirm which elephant it was, so we could not dart. It soon came near Arjuna, I was ready to fire the dart, but we were supposed to dart only to its thigh or shoulder or neck, not the face as it might die. It attacked Arjuna, while I was holding rope on my left hand and Mahouts pulled up, I escaped falling from the right side. When I was falling accidentally I pressed the trigger and fired the dart and it went in the air upwards, it accidentally pricked Prashantha's right leg. The wild elephant started fighting with Arjuna, local watchers began air firing, and the wild elephant moved 150 meters away," he said.
He added, "During this fight, our other Kumki Elephants had run away. Around 500 meters from the spot, Ranjan noticed the dart in Prashantha's right leg, he had removed it and called me to inject anti-dote. Anila had fallen and he had noticed the injury to the left leg of Arjuna. Gundu had also got down. I ran to give antidote to Prashantha, he was mildly sedated, since half of the drug had been wasted in air, he had not fallen. Vinu was terrified by the fight, as a wild tusker could pull him down from its trunk and he had come along with me. But he did not return. When I returned, Anila, Kaavaadi of Sugreeva elephant Harisha were sitting on Arjuna. The wild elephant had come back and had started fighting with Arjuna. I handed over the drug to Anila to dart and he had darted wild elephant but it had not got sedated immediately. Those sitting on it came down. All of us moved a little away from the spot to save the life. Despite all efforts including air firing, we could not drive away wild elephants. It had hurt Arjuna badly and hit near the left ear. After Arjuna fell down, he had been pierced near the chest by the wild elephant's tusk. Since the wild elephants were surrounding it, we could not immediately go near it. The wild elephant which killed Arjuna which was darted had got sedated at some distance. Later when we drove away the elephants with air fire and went near Arjuna, he was not breathing," Dr Ramesha said.
He informed, "Since I had nourished him, I did not do post-mortem, experts were invited to do it. As per the decision of higher officials, they did not open its stomach as per SOP but examined external injuries and took samples for forensic examination," Dr Ramesha said.