The injured Lakshmana is seen in this picture with his mahout Putta. Lakshmana was suffering for more than a month with a broken leg.
In the past 2 months, 4 Elephants have died in Dubare. Nor the Forest Dept or the Govt seems to be interested in the well being of the Pachyderms.
Lakshmana, a 47- year-old tusker, succumbed to injuries sustained in an attack by rogue elephants, at Dubare camp in Kodagu. The pachyderm had sustained fracture of the left leg.
A team of doctors from Forest Department was treating Lakshmana for the past one-and -a-half month. With the death of Lakshmana, the number of rehabilitated elephants at Dubare has decreased by 19, which is alarming which we have been covering in our columns but the news is yet to prick the consciense of those concerned A jumbo had died barely 15 days ago at the camp.,this is the third reported death of an Elephant at Dubare Elephant camp. The prime motive of setting up the Elephant camp at Dubare was to rehabilitate captured wild elephants,till recently this purpose was being served admirably but since the advent of tourism in Coorg & J.L.R. Resorts, came up in Dubare the primary concern of the authorites was to entertain the visitors and the care and rehabilitation of the Pachyderms took a back seat,resulting in the neglect of the gentle beasts.
Environmentalists are worried that if this frightening trend continues the Elephant camp will resemble a circus and in next to no time Dubare will lose all its elephants, they urge the D.F.O. and the Conservator to take immediate steps to rectify the wrongs and concentrate of better managment and well being of the elephants there.