Green Minute News:
A tusker that was caught in a fishing net in the Nugu Reservoir of Karnataka, India was rescued after eight hours of relentless operation by Bandipur forest officials and fire personnel.
The traumatized elephant was trapped in an old fishing net which had entangled its front leg thereby, hindering its movement in the backwaters of the reservoir at Sarguru taluk in Mysuru district. Local people informed the forest officials early morning about a pachyderm caught in the backwaters and showing no movement. Assisted by the fire department, the forest officials used a motor boat to reach it and free it from the fishing net and finally, after 8 hours, the 20-year-old pachyderm was successfully rescued.
A team comprising forest staff from various ranges of Bandipur was led by Hediyala ACF Ravi Kumar to rescue the tusker. Using metal hooks, the fishing net was cut by a forest staff, thereby allowing the animal to free itself. The elephant suffered for many hours as it could not come out of water as one of its legs was stuck in the fishing net. After 8 long hours, forest officials were successful in sending the traumatized elephant back to the forest.
With fishing being allowed in these regions, it is a nightmare for many wildlife as this is a major corridor for tigers, leopards and elephants to use the backwaters to move from one forest to another. However, forest officials say usually all fishing nets are removed from the reservoir on a regular basis, however, one old net which maybe, was missed – unfortunately trapped the elephant and caused untold agony.
It was late afternoon when the jumbo was freed with the help of a bamboo stick and directed towards the forest by a forest staff. It was a joyous sight to watch the pachyderm swim away and disappear into the forest, said one personnel.