Wild elephants that have for years posed a major problem to the lives and livelihoods of residents in Hassan’s Alur taluk and in Kodagu’s Virajpet could soon be captured and tamed, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) G.S. Prabhu said on Monday.

The Department of Forests had, earlier this year, proposed the capture of several problem elephants that routinely raided crops and came in conflict with people.

Mr. Prabhu was speaking at the valedictory function of the 59th Wildlife Week organised by the department, where schoolchildren were given prizes for essay and painting competitions on the theme ‘The importance of environmental protection’.

A sum of Rs. 21 crore had been earmarked to mitigate the human-animal conflict in the State, Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, B. Ramanath Rai, said.

Governor H.R. Bhardwaj said several species across the world were endangered because of human greed. He added that the budget allocation for wildlife conservation should be increased.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bangalore – October 08th, 2013