Karnataka Forest Department radio-collars two wild elephants in Hassan to track herds

The Karnataka Forest Department has fitted radio collars on two wild elephants in the Belur range of Hassan district to monitor the movement of their herds. The operation was carried out over two days, with officials capturing the animals from two different groups.

On Monday, August 10, 2026, a team from the department captured an elephant from the herd known as Bhuvaneshwari and fitted it with an indigenous radio collar. The following day, an elephant from the Beetamma herd was sedated using a tranquilliser dart, fitted with a similar collar, and released back into the forest.

The recent collaring exercise was undertaken after the previous collars on elephants from these herds had stopped functioning. The department had first fitted radio collars on an elephant from the Bhuvaneshwari herd three years ago and on an elephant from the Beetamma herd two years ago. With the batteries having expired, tracking the herds had become difficult. To resume monitoring, staff identified other elephants from the same two groups in the Belur range and fitted them with fresh indigenous radio collars.

The operation involved kumki elephants Ekalavya from the Nagarahole elephant camp, and Prashanth, Dhananjaya, Eshwar, Lakshman and Ajjaiah from the Dubare elephant camp. Veterinarians Dr. Vasim, Dr. Adarsha and Dr. Vinayak were part of the team and took necessary precautions to ensure the elephants were released safely after the collars were fitted.

With this exercise, the department is now tracking four herds active in the district using indigenous radio collars. According to Sourabh Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hassan division, the collars enable staff to track the movement of elephants and alert the local public in advance. This helps in avoiding human-elephant conflict in the region, which has been a growing concern in parts of Karnataka where elephants frequently venture into agricultural fields and human settlements.

The use of radio collars is an established method for wildlife monitoring and conflict mitigation. By understanding the movement patterns of elephant herds, forest departments can issue timely warnings to villages and take preventive measures. The indigenous collars used in this operation are part of ongoing efforts to reduce dependence on imported equipment, though details of the technology were not disclosed by the department.

Forest officers and field staff were involved in the operation, which was conducted over two days. The successful collaring of the two elephants is expected to provide valuable data for wildlife management in the region. The department has urged the local public to cooperate with forest authorities by staying alert and reporting elephant sightings to helplines, ensuring the safety of both the animals and the residents.