Video: 15-day-old elephant calf menaced by villagers in Bannerghatta park

Bengaluru: A video of a 15-day-old elephant calf being chased by local people at Ragihalli in the Bannerghatta National Park has been going viral on social media.

In the video it can be seen that one person is carrying a gun. Wildlife activists have alleged that shots were fired.

The forest department has clarified that they went to the rescue of the petrified calf the moment they got to know about the incident.

A highly placed official in the forest department said the calf got separated from its mother and thereby lost the herd.

“We are trying to get reunite the calf with its herd. Attempts were made yesterday but not a single accepted it. As of now it is in a rescue centre and being given medical treatment,” he said.

Project Vruksha founder Vijay Nishanth said such human-animal conflict will become common if the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Bannerghatta National Park is reduced, as is being planned by the Yediyurappa government.

“This is precisely why we do not want the Union environment ministry to reduce the ESZ of the national park by 100 sq km,” he remarked.