<p>The state government will set up a new elephant camp at Harangi in Kodagu to decongest the existing eight across Karnataka where the pachyderm population has increased over the years.</p>.<p>Sources in the Karnataka Forest Department told DH that orders were issued last month to initiate work on the camp.</p>.<p>Hearing a PIL in 2019, the Karnataka High Court had rapped the state government after a report by an expert committee flagged the poor state of health facilities among others in the camps.</p>.<p>“The High Court had also directed us to set up a new camp to accommodate excess elephants at these camps," a senior official from the forest department said.</p>.<p>"Accordingly, the state government, on February 12, 2021, ordered setting up of a new elephant camp near the Harangi Reservoir Tree Park in Attur division of Kushalnagar Range in Kodagu."</p>.<p>The official said they were told to "make use of funds available under the Kodagu Man-Animal Conflict mitigation Foundation for providing required infrastructure at the park”.</p>.<p>Currently, Karnataka has eight jumbo camps housing about 100-plus domesticated elephants that are used to rescue wild animals and for logging purposes at government timber depots, according to officials.</p>.<p>The new elephant camp is expected to reduce the burden on the nearby Dubare elephant camp, which currently has 31 elephants — the highest in the state. </p>.<p>In its report, the High Court-appointed committee had stated that there were only six veterinarians looking after the camps without any surgical equipment or cold storage to stock up emergency and life-saving drugs.</p>.<p>The report gave a health ranking of 2.5 on a scale of 5 points to the camps, highlighting the poor condition of elephants ailing with several medical problems. </p>
<p>The state government will set up a new elephant camp at Harangi in Kodagu to decongest the existing eight across Karnataka where the pachyderm population has increased over the years.</p>.<p>Sources in the Karnataka Forest Department told DH that orders were issued last month to initiate work on the camp.</p>.<p>Hearing a PIL in 2019, the Karnataka High Court had rapped the state government after a report by an expert committee flagged the poor state of health facilities among others in the camps.</p>.<p>“The High Court had also directed us to set up a new camp to accommodate excess elephants at these camps," a senior official from the forest department said.</p>.<p>"Accordingly, the state government, on February 12, 2021, ordered setting up of a new elephant camp near the Harangi Reservoir Tree Park in Attur division of Kushalnagar Range in Kodagu."</p>.<p>The official said they were told to "make use of funds available under the Kodagu Man-Animal Conflict mitigation Foundation for providing required infrastructure at the park”.</p>.<p>Currently, Karnataka has eight jumbo camps housing about 100-plus domesticated elephants that are used to rescue wild animals and for logging purposes at government timber depots, according to officials.</p>.<p>The new elephant camp is expected to reduce the burden on the nearby Dubare elephant camp, which currently has 31 elephants — the highest in the state. </p>.<p>In its report, the High Court-appointed committee had stated that there were only six veterinarians looking after the camps without any surgical equipment or cold storage to stock up emergency and life-saving drugs.</p>.<p>The report gave a health ranking of 2.5 on a scale of 5 points to the camps, highlighting the poor condition of elephants ailing with several medical problems. </p>
