In conflict, they say, there are no winners or losers; there are only survivors. The truth of that statement is brought home vividly as the captured elephants of Alur are broken, and tamed. A report
Five tame elephants and a wild tusker clash in a battle of wills and strength. And yet, in the midst of that primal scene, the tame elephants and the wild one interact in moments of heart-stopping empathy
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?
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
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
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.
Thanks Kalyan for bringing this out so well. I think conflict wherever it exists exacts a toll on all the stakeholders. The elephant problem of Hassan is not the first nor the last. What the Forest Dept is now continuously facing,is the legacy of these conflicts, not just more elephants in camps which drain our dwindling resources but also an increasing population with very less tolerance for conflict.
What the next generation of foresters will face whenever there is an elephant conflict is “When they could do it in Hassan why not here?” So we now have a ‘Hassan model’ of conflict management.
Thanks once again for putting this across a wide public domain.
Rightly titled, it is a no-win war 🙁
You have been very unbiased in your outlook, and your thoughts have also been articulated very well. Your points on “Kumki” and “Captive” elephant relationship is intriguing and leaves me pondering on how little we know of this magnificent creation of nature. I wish you all the best and earnestly look forward to reading more about your “Elephas Rendezvous”.
so beautifully written..
Kalyan,
Reading this lovely article evokes memories and emotion; I can see the effort put into this article and the outstanding result. Any conflict, as you correctly infer, has the stories of two sides and ineluctable pain. Your prose is as moving as it is analytical.
I am quite awed in the way this piece of story has been written. It not only brings out the hard reality of the present situation of wildlife in India, but also depicts the silent anguish borne by this majestic creature living a life far from what it ought to. Thanks for bringing these stories to life.
capturing elephants and torturing them has been an age-old tradition throughout india. the Buddhist Jataka stories contain many examples. the elephant is intelligent, and trades liberty for life. this has been exploited by humans who are more crooked in their intelligence. the elephant has a sensitive skin. this has been exploited by humans to torture the elephants into submission. CO-EXISTENCE requires a degree of self abnegation by humans.
Riveting
Rightly said. Taming elephants only spoils their wilderness. We should work towards expanding forest zones , buffer zones and keeping agriculture/development sensitive to elephant needs will extend our duty towards preserving wild animals. Hope forest departments can take notice of the same and work towards a better future for wild animals. We can always extend our support towards this goal.
We should work towards expanding forest zones , buffer zones and keeping agriculture/development sensitive to elephant needs will extend our duty towards preserving wild animals. Hope forest departments can take notice of the same and work towards a better future for wild animals. We can always extend our support towards this goal.
Brilliant work Kalyan sir!How is the current situation in Hassan?Have all the elephants been captured?
Since then they have been captured but now new elephants have moved in and there are more elephants than before
Oh okay, seems like there is no permanent solution for this.