When we read of man-elephant conflict , we agree that “capture” is the most logical solution. But do we know what capturing a wild elephant actually means, what it looks like, what it feels like?
In one instant of random chaos, a carefree schoolgirl and an enraged elephant crossed paths. This is their story
Man and elephants confront each other in the farms and forests of Karnataka. Attitudes harden, battle lines are drawn, and there is no drawing back
As conflict escalates in Hassan and the toll of humans and elephants mounts, an activist court and a dedicated task force come together to find a solution
For rural India, sharing space with wildlife is second nature. But as development gets fast-tracked, the delicate, value-based balance of man and nature is tilting; coexistence is giving way to conflict. This year-long project explores the complex inter-relationships between Man and Nature.
A country decides what to give its people and what to take from them; what to make and sell, what to buy and distribute. In making these decisions, it arrives at a definition of development. The path has weight, for it forges the character of its citizens, leaving them with hope, or fear, or an upheaval felt for generations. The Noble Mansion will chronicle this development through the lived experiences of businessmen and bureaucrats, and villagers and city dwellers across India as it renews itself.
All the drinking water in the world will fit in a cube that can sit over the city of Bangalore. And in this industrial age, everyone wants a share of aquifers, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Voices get shriller and stakes rise ever higher should a river cross international boundaries. Add to all this, the unpredictability of weather patterns in the age of climate change.
On the freshwater trail, I will follow the changing fortunes of people and species in the anthropocene era

[…] can only imagine how long the capture truly lasted – I was a bit shaken by the brutality of the entire ordeal. Born and raised in a busy international metropolitan in India, elephants for me were those wild […]
[…] of them had shot on his smartphone. Again, that is not true — the video they were watching was this one, shot by me and part of my narrative series. The mahouts were part of that operation, along with […]
I did not understand the ‘reason’ as to why the elephants should be captured….but the trauma for both captives and their elephant captors was horrendous to watch. I want to help to respect these marvellous emotional animals, but how can you trust the self- labeled helpers, charities who fail under scrutinisation… I deparately want to help to put things right for these animals..but how?
Amazing documentation sir. Unfortunately there is no better way to move the wild elephants. But i still feel instead of moving the elephants from their home and relocating, govt and forest dept could borrowed ideas from Valparai, Tamilnadu team. So that both humans and wild elephants can live peacefully side by side.
A moving coverage Kalyan. 🙁
Avoided watching this for a long time. Sad plight of affairs in human-wildlife conflicts. I have been thinking of what could have been the alternative to this capture. Not knowing the ground reality I cannot think of an answer. What do you think could have been an alternative to pacify the crowds losing lives and angered by elephants instead of removal of elephants from Hassan for captivity?
Your footage tortures my mind. My grand father was a forest officer in Kerala in the 30’s. I have a deep love for elephants as a result of the stories my mother told me about her personal encounters with these beautiful creatures. If you have ideas on what I can do to help the plight of these animals, please get back to me. I imagine these animals were captured because they were proving to be disruptive to human life. Though the process was horrific to watch, I pray they are being taken care of, or left alone in their new natural surroundings. These animals are large and getting them into a truck would have been impossible using machinery of any type, so was getting other elephants to do the job considered the more humane alternative? What was the thinking behind the methodology?
Cant even able to watch full video due to heavy pain..see i am feeling painful only by watching this video..Elephants are suffering…. One of the worst situation…
Perhaps