Meera Bhardwaj:
Another tusker falls prey to ineffective, poor medical treatment by vets at the Sakrebyle Elephant Camp in Shivamogga district of Karnataka. The reputation of Karnataka as a pioneer of “Elephant Conservation” in India has taken a severe beating with such incidents happening frequently now.
The prevailing conditions in the elephant camps of Karnataka demonstrates the “need for permanent wildlife vets and their recruitment as soon as possible” before conservation of elephants, tigers and leopards deteriorates further.
Wildlife experts, activists and vets call upon Karnataka government to take quick action as they say Sakrebyle Elephant Camp has become a symbol of “Administrative collapse and cruelty towards our national animal which is an endangered species (as per IUCN Red List) and a Schedule-1 species as per Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Tusker Vikrant is in critical condition, fighting to survive and this is all because of botched up treatment by inexperienced vets and lack of experienced wildlife vets at the Sakrebyle Elephant Camp. Now how many more “captive elephants” have to suffer and die in Karnataka due to faulty decisions and flawed policies of the state government?
URGENT NEED FOR WILDLIFE VETS
Wildlife experts add, “When will the Karnataka Forest Department wake up and learn to deploy experienced wildlife vets to treat Schedule-1 species like elephants so that they do not become disabled for life or die due to the vet’s ineptitude, inexperience and negligence? Since the last 18 or more months, the Sakrebyle Elephant Camp has no experienced wildlife veterinary officer and is facing a severe crisis.”
It was in March 2025, Dr Vinay S, Chief Veterinary Officer, Wildlife Division, Shivamogga (In charge of Sakrebyle Elephant Camp for more than 10 years) was transferred to Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Department as he was seriously injured in an elephant attack during capture operations.
Dr Vinay S is the most experienced wildlife veterinarian and the seniormost veterinary officer in Karnataka and is based in Shivamogga and is always available for consultations but alas! forest officials have utterly failed to utilize his vast wildlife expertise and capabilities.
Now let us take the case of tusker Vikrant who was captured in Bikkod near Belur, Hassan district on March 20, 2025.
Till date, no effective line of treatment has been provided for tusker Vikrant which is suffering for the last 3-4 months. It is in a very bad shape, struggling to survive and suffering acute pain in different parts of the body.
The available videos of tusker Vikrant show how healthy, robust, highly musculature and well-built he was when he arrived in April 2025 and was put in a kraal at the Sakrebyle Elephant Camp. After this, his downfall started. His training period and poor health management by the elephant care takers and Dr Murali, has left tusker Vikrant weak and debilitated and is now on the verge of death, camp sources inform.
UTTER NEGLIGENCE OF VIKRANT
Sources say, “Why was tusker Vikrant left to suffer so badly and almost under starvation? There was complete negligence in giving timely treatment and this led to his poor body condition. It couldn’t bear any weight on its left forelimb as we saw in close observation.”
Activists in Shivamogga question, “Why was Dr Murali appointed and allowed to manage camp elephants at Sakrebyle. In fact, he was removed from the Tiger and Lion Safari, Tyavarekoppa, Shivamogga due to mismanagement of a pregnant hippopotamus which succumbed to its death later after attacking Dr Sameeksha Reddy who too died. He has been a full-time vet in the safari the last 3-4 years but didn’t secure a good name. Further, he has inadequate knowledge in wildlife and its treatment.”
ELEPHANT BALANNA’S CASE
An experienced vet further adds, “After being removed from the Tyavarekoppa safari, he was appointed as a consultant to Sakrebyle Elephant Camp despite having no knowledge or expertise in health management of camp elephants. In October 2025, he was responsible for the botched-up case of Balanna elephant which was left with one of its ears amputated completely. This is the first time in the history of elephant conservation – a jumbo’s ear has been amputated due to wrong line of treatment.”
Currently, elephant Balanna is considered good for nothing as it cannot be used for any capture operations or for any Dasara procession. The poor elephant has been isolated in the kraal area and has become a solitary animal for the rest of its life.
COMPLAINT’S GALORE ON GAUR DEATH
Adding to fuel to fire, on June 18, Dr Anand was deputed from Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP), Bengaluru to Sakrebyle Elephant Camp for treatment of tusker Vikrant.
Wildlife experts add, “Now this is the same vet who has failed to treat elephants and other animals residing in the BBP and is facing complaints on health management of elephants and other species like Indian Gaur. A pregnant Gaur was darted at BBP which later died due to the vet’s negligence”
According to the veterinary community in the State, Dr Anand and Dr Madan recently darted more than six times a much pregnant hippopotamus at the Tyavarekoppa Lion & Tiger Safari.
They further said the hippo had died due to excessive anaesthetic dosage but it was later claimed as a case of multi-organ failure. Even the fully grown calf inside the gravid uterus of the hippo was found dead and they couldn’t justify the cause for its death which led to an inquiry.”
DARTING A PREGNANT INDIAN GAUR
“It was is in October 2025, Dr Anand darted a pregnant Indian Gaur at BBP which led to its death. Although the investigation is complete, the contents of the inquiry report has not been revealed by the BBP authorities,” says D S Kiran Kumar, Green Army Force.
Kiran Kumar further adds, “This vet was responsible for the gaur’s death at BBP. Despite this, how was he invited to the Sakrebyle camp for the treatment of Balanna suffering from gangrenous ear. He failed to treat and amputated it. He neither has the experience and nor is an expert in treating wildlife but still his so-called expertise is utilized for killing more wildlife.”
IRREGULAR MONITORING OF CAMP ELEPHANTS
Camp sources further add, “Dr Murali was irregular in health monitoring of the camp elephants. He assigned Assistant Karthi to treat the diseased tusker Vikrant in dressing its wound and also allowed to administer injections. Now how can an Assistant (who is just a 10th pass having no veterinary qualifications) be allowed to treat Vikrant by the concerned forest officers?”
Shocked at the happenings at Sakrebyle, wildlife experts say, “Now how can a vet at Sakrebyle camp be allowed to continue when he is incompetent in treating injuries sustained by camp elephants? He has poor knowledge in the line of treatment, shows negligence in his approach, allows his assistant to treat the elephant and administers intra-muscular injections which is against the rules. Apart from this, he did not send any of the wound samples for ABST (Antibody sensitivity test) to the lab to ascertain the effective antibiotic injection for fast healing of wounds.”
CALL FOR ACTION
Camp sources add, “This vet couldn’t treat camp elephants like Adkabadka, Balanna, Ashwatthama, Sagar effectively, leaving them to suffer both physically and mentally for a long period. In fact, the mahout had stated and submitted a letter to the RFO through Jamedhar to treat the elephant properly. The tusker’s foot is in a bad state, the toe nail is damaged and infection has set in through the foot pad.”
They further add the vet has delayed treatment from 9th April 2026 onwards. The vet’s negligence and wrong line of treatment have led to the critical condition of Vikrant which has lost its strength and is critical now. Right from the vet to forest officials to mahouts must be held responsible for Vikrant’s present critical condition.