Hassan: Forest officials and veterinarians monitoring wild elephant Bheema said he is healthy and recovering after losing his left tusk in a fierce fight with another tusker, Captain, on Sunday morning at Jagabhoranahalli research plantation in Belur taluk.Deputy conservator of forests (Hassan circle) Saurabh Kumar said the fight took place when Bheema hit his trunk against a tree, and his left tusk broke and fell off.Forest officers of Hassan division and veterinary officers of Belur reported that Bheema was drinking water and eating grass and fodder. They observed that he was covering himself with mud and moving around, indicating good health.After the fight, the elephant moved from the Bikkodu area of Belur to the Udevara area in neighbouring Sakleshpur taluk before returning to Bikkodu. It was spotted in the Bakravalli Kittagere area, near Bikkodu, on Wednesday evening.The DCF said, “Several false messages about the elephant’s health had been circulating on social media and urged the public not to believe such messages.” “Approaching the tusker to take photographs or videos and sharing them on social media is a punishable offence,” he added.Forest staff and veterinarians were closely monitoring the situation, and drone teams had been deployed to track the elephants, the officer said.According to wildlife enthusiast Vikram Gowda, Bheema has been a pleasant jumbo. Gowda had been watching Bheema’s behaviour for several years. He added that although Bheema had entered villages after being injured, it never charged or tried to harm humans. “He is weak now and needs several days to recover. Considered the king of the region, Bheema regularly roamed in the area but had not been sighted for several months before the fight,” Vikram said.
