BENGALURU:
Arjuna, the elephant, which had carried the golden ambari during the Mysore Dussehra festival eight times, tragically fell victim to a forest attack during a wildebeest capture operation near Yeslur, Sakaleshpur, in the Hassan district.
The 63-year-old elephant, although retired from carrying the golden ambari since last year, still played a significant role as a target elephant in the Jambo riding procession. Housed in the elephant camp in the Nagarhole area, Arjuna was also utilized for combing wild animals and had exceptional skills in catching tigers.
Five elephants were captured between November 24-30, and three of them were relocated to different forest areas after having radio collars fixed on them. Two female elephants were also darted and fitted with radio collars before being reunited with their families. All five elephants are currently under monitoring, according to Kumar Pushkar, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife).
Today, the operation shifted from Belur to Yeslur, where we encountered some problematic elephants. Our intention was to capture and collar them in order to track their movements and alert the public accordingly. Unfortunately, we lost our most esteemed elephant, Arjuna, in a fight. Arjuna had been a part of the forest department since 1972 and served us faithfully for nearly 52 years, Pushkar added.
Arjuna had carried the 750-kg howdah during the Dasara procession in Mysuru eight times until 2019. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his sorrow over the loss of the renowned elephant on the microblogging site X. He described Arjuna as a beloved creature who had been the centerpiece of the historic Mysuru Dasara Jambu Sawari (parade of caparisoned elephants) for eight successful years.
ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಮೈಸೂರು ದಸರಾದ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಬಿಂದುವಾದ ಜಂಬೂಸವಾರಿಯನ್ನು ಎಂಟು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಕಾಲ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿ ನಡೆಸಿಕೊಟ್ಟು ಜನರ ಪ್ರೀತಿಪಾತ್ರವಾಗಿದ್ದ ಆನೆ ‘ಅರ್ಜುನ’ ಇನ್ನಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬ ಸುದ್ದಿ ಕೇಳಿ ನೋವಾಯಿತು.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) December 4, 2023
ಬರೋಬ್ಬರಿ 750 ಕೆ.ಜಿ ತೂಕದ ಚಿನ್ನದ ಅಂಬಾರಿ ಹೊತ್ತು, ಅತ್ಯಂತ ಸಂಯಮದಿಂದ ಮೆರವಣಿಗೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಾಗುವ ಮೂಲಕ ತಾಯಿ ಚಾಮುಂಡೇಶ್ವರಿಯ… pic.twitter.com/RA2cJka6kH
Arjuna, who dutifully served mother Chamundeshwari by carrying a golden howdah weighing exactly 750 kg, passed away in a fight with a wild elephant. The image of Arjuna walking majestically among millions of people will forever be etched in the minds of Kannadigas like myself, Siddaramaiah’s post added. Karnataka Environment and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre also expressed his grief over Arjuna’s demise, stating that it was unfortunate for the famed elephant to have died after being attacked by a rogue tusker. The rogue elephant attacked Arjuna, striking him with its tusks and causing his death, Khandre said.
Despite the staff’s attempt to deter the tusker by firing shots into the air, it relentlessly charged towards the tamed elephant. While the other three tamed elephants retreated, Arjuna valiantly stood his ground and fought alone. Miraculously, both the veterinarian and the mahout managed to escape unharmed, Khandre added.
Furthermore, Khandre mentioned that the forest officials have successfully fitted radio collars on five wild elephants to monitor their movements.
