Forest officers in the district are all set to participate in the three-day synchronised elephant census that will begin across six states on Tuesday.

Chamarajanagar district has the distinction of having the highest density of elephant population in the State. Bandipur National Park, Biligiriranganathaswamy Tiger Reserve Forest, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and Kollegal Forest Division are other important habitats for elephants in the State. More than 600 enumerators, including forest watchers, students of forestry colleges, volunteers and representatives of NGOs working in the field of wildlife will take part in the census in the district’s forest region.

The State government has dropped a proposal to expand the Bhadra Tiger Reserve as well as include Kudremukh National Park under Project Tiger after local people opposed it, Law Minister Suresh Kumar told the Assembly on Thursday.

Replying to the issue raised by Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, the minister said the government shelved the plan in the interest of tribals and other forest dwellers.

Officials fail to act despite orders from the Forest Minister

A Tamil Nadu company has allegedly been quarrying on an encroached government land at the tiger reserve near Biligirirangana Temple Wildlife Sanctuary (BRTWLS) near Huthuri village in Hanur of Kollegal taluk.

Dandeli, Mookambika, Cauvery, Someshwara, BBP to be merged with forests
The State government has extended the boundaries of a national park and four wildlife sanctuaries.

The government on December 27, 2011, notified around 1,255.64 sq km of reserve forest land as national park and wildlife sanctuaries. As per the notification, the areas of four wildlife sanctuaries – Dandeli, Mookambika, Cauvery and Someshwara, and one national park – Bannerghatta, have been extended by amalgamating them with reserve forests, thereby bringing a larger area under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Despite the High Court’s observations on Karnataka’s plans to translocate elephants from Alur taluk in Hassan district to the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Mysore, Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara seemed confident about convincing the court on the government’s move.

Addressing the gathering during a State-level workshop on extraction of non-timber forest produce, organised by the Western Ghats Task Force in Bangalore on Tuesday, Yogeeshwara said the department was making concerted efforts to mitigate the man-animal conflict.

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday refused to grant permission for the proposed translocation of 25 elephants from Alur forest range to Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

During the hearing of a suo motu petition over increasing elephant deaths, the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice A S Bopanna said permission for translocation cannot be granted unless experts’ opinion is obtained.

Subhash Chandra N S, June 28, Bangalore:

The Forest Department and police have arrested an individual who illegally organised a motor rally through the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, leading to the death of a spotted deer.

Subhash Chandra N S, Bangalore, Jan 31, DHNS:

A privately-owned mahseer fishing resort on the banks of the Cauvery near the City, that is functioning in violation of the Indian Wildlife Act has attracted the wrath of a central watchdog for environment and forests.