Fri Mar 07 01:14:00 UTC 2025: ## Two Killed in Recent Elephant Attacks in Hassan District, Karnataka; Residents Demand Relocation
**Hassan, Karnataka, March 7, 2025** – Two people have been killed in separate elephant attacks in Hassan district’s Belur taluk in recent weeks, sparking widespread protests and demands for the relocation of the region’s growing elephant population. The incidents have highlighted the escalating human-elephant conflict plaguing the area for decades.
74-year-old Dyavamma, an agricultural laborer, was found dead on February 13 after failing to return home from searching for a missing cow. 28-year-old Anil Kumar was similarly killed on February 24 while returning from work. Both deaths resulted in protests, with villagers demanding compensation and the capture and relocation of the elephants. The protests were further intensified by the participation of Belur MLA H.K. Suresh.
The conflict, concentrated in the foothills of the Western Ghats, has been ongoing for over four decades, escalating since the construction of the Hemavathi reservoir in the late 1970s. The reservoir’s construction, along with subsequent infrastructure development, fragmented elephant habitats and disrupted traditional elephant corridors, forcing them into human settlements in search of food.
The Forest Department has undertaken several elephant capture and relocation operations since 1987, but the elephant population continues to grow, with estimates exceeding 100 animals spread across several groups. This increase has led to a significant rise in human-elephant conflict, resulting in over 100 human deaths since 1987 and over 40 elephant deaths since 2003. Farmers are also suffering significant crop losses.
Experts, including retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests M.K. Appaiah and elephant expert Ajay A. Desai, have recommended the relocation of the entire elephant population from the affected area, citing habitat fragmentation. Previous relocation attempts proved unsuccessful, as some elephants returned to their original locations.
In response to the recent tragedies, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre visited the region and promised to capture and relocate all wild elephants from Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Kodagu districts to a proposed elephant camp in the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary. This project, estimated to cost ₹100 crore, aims to provide sufficient food and water for the relocated elephants. The minister also stated the government’s plan to return over 200 elephants currently roaming outside forest areas back to their natural habitats. The government is exploring additional measures, including seeking input from experts at the Indian Institute of Science to control the elephant population and mitigate the ongoing conflict.
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