Forest Department officials fitted a wild elephant with a radio-collar to track movement of a herd in Belur Range of Hassan district on August 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Karnataka Forest Department officials captured two wild elephants and fitted them with radio collars over two days in the Belur range of Hassan district.On Monday (August 10, 2026), they captured an elephant from a herd named Bhuvaneshwari and fitted it with an indigenous radio collar to track the herd’s movements. On Tuesday (August 11, 2026), they captured an elephant from a herd named Beetamma after sedating it with a tranquilliser dart, fitted it with an indigenous radio collar, and released it back into the forest.The department had first fitted a radio collar on an elephant from the Bhuvaneshwari herd three years ago, and on an elephant from the Beetamma herd two years ago. The batteries on both collars had since expired, making it difficult for staff to track the herds. To resume tracking, staff identified other elephants from the same two groups in Belur range and fitted them with fresh indigenous radio collars.Sourabh Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hassan division, told the media that the operation involved kumki elephants Ekalavya from the Nagarahole elephant camp, and Prashanth, Dhananjaya, Eshwar, Lakshman and Ajjaiah from the Dubare elephant camp.
