3 weeks ago

Indigenous radio collar fitted to Bhuvaneshwari herd elephant in Hassan

Indigenous radio collar fitted to Bhuvaneshwari herd elephant in Hassan
K’taka: Radio collar fitted to elephant in Bhuvaneshwari herd in Hassan · thehansindia.com

People who look after forests in Hassan, in the Indian state of Karnataka, wanted to keep track of a big elephant from a group called the Bhuvaneshwari herd.

Elephants sometimes walk close to villages, which can be dangerous for people and for the elephants.

To help keep everyone safe, the forest workers put a special collar around the elephant's neck that sends signals, like a smartwatch that shows where someone is.

This collar was made in India.

Before that, the elephant wore a collar made in another country, but it stopped working because its battery ran out.

Animal doctors and helpers carefully caught the elephant, checked that it was healthy, and put the new collar on.

They even brought gentle helper elephants to make the job safer.

After the check-up, the elephant was let go back into the forest.

Now the forest workers can see where the elephant goes and warn villages if it comes too close.

It is the third elephant family in Hassan to get one of these new Indian-made collars.

Key facts

Herd
Bhuvaneshwari wild elephant herd
Location
Belur Range, Hassan district, Karnataka
Collar type
Indigenous radio collar
Purpose
Monitor elephant movements and reduce human-elephant conflict
Previous collar
Foreign-made; stopped functioning after battery expired
Supervising veterinary officers
Wasim (Bandipur Tiger Reserve), Adarsh (Mysuru Circle), Vinayak (Bhadra Tiger Reserve)
Kumki elephants deployed
6, from Nagarahole and Dubare Elephant Camps
Herds fitted in Hassan district
3

Sources

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