Forest guard attacked by wild jumbo during elephant census

Yelandur: A wild jumbo attacked a Forest department personnel, during the elephant census, under Biligiri Rangana Betta (BR Hills) limits, in Yelandur taluk, Chamarajanagar district, on Thursday.

The three-day elephant census, for 2024, began in the southern states on Thursday. The exercise is being conducted in 65 forest ranges and 563 beats of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, MM Hills Wildlife, BRT Tiger Reserve, Bannerghatta National Park, Madikeri Territorial, Madikeri Wildlife and Virajpet, Cauvery Wildlife and Kolar. They are engaging 1,689 personnel for this.

The mishap was reported from Amekere camp, under BR Hills limits, on the first day of the census. Three personnel from the Forest department were on census work, when a wild jumbo suddenly attacked one of them.

M Kumaraswamy of the Forest patrol team was attacked by the jumbo. However, he escaped with minor injuries. He was admitted to the Taluk Hospital in Yelandur and discharged later, according to officials.