1 month ago
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The elephant campy astatine Sakrebailu, located astir 15 km from Shivamogga, has been temporarily closed to the nationalist pursuing directives from the Karnataka Forest Department, successful the aftermath of a tragic incidental astatine the Dubare elephant campy wherever a tourer pistillate mislaid her beingness and an elephant besides died aft a combat with different elephant connected May 18.
On Thursday morning, a fewer visitors who arrived astatine the campy were turned distant by staff, who informed them that the campy had been unopen down until further notice. The closure comes arsenic the Forest Department moves swiftly to enactment successful spot a information model for elephant camps crossed the State.
SOP for camps
Prasanna Krishna Patagar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Shivamogga, confirmed the improvement to The Hindu. “Following instructions from our seniors successful the department, the campy has been closed to the public. In the aftermath of the Dubare incident, the section has decided to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for elephant camps successful the involvement of the information of visitors arsenic good arsenic the animals,” helium said.
Mr. Patagar added that the mentation of the SOP could instrumentality anyplace betwixt 1 week and 15 days, and the campy would beryllium reopened lone aft the protocol has been finalised and efficaciously implemented successful accordance with the directions of the State government.
The Sakrebailu elephant campy is 1 of the astir visited eco-tourism destinations successful Shivamogga district, drafting astir 2.5 lakh visitors annually. On weekends, footfall surges to betwixt 2,500 and 3,000 tourists, portion weekdays spot a dependable watercourse of 400 to 500 visitors. The campy is location to 24 tamed elephants, and tourists person agelong flocked to the tract to prosecute with the animals.
