Arjun was not hit by any bullet, doctor confirmed

Days after Dussehra elephant Arjun was killed in a tusk attack by the forest department during a trapping operation, Nagarhole Tiger Reserve veterinarian Dr H Ramesha said he had accidentally released another elephant, Prashant, but Not Arjun. There were conflicting reports and mahout accounts in the wake of the famous elephant’s death, with some claiming that he had suffered a gunshot wound in a botched operation, resulting in the tragedy. Dr. Ramesha, who was at the center of the operation, told DH that the rescue team did not have weapons with bullets, but only double-barreled weapons with steel balls. He said, therefore Arjun could not have been shot. Recalling the December 4 operation at the KFDC grove near Dabli Katte in Yeslur range of Hassan division, Ramesh said a piece of wood had penetrated Arjun’s left foot and taken out his nail. He claimed that Arjun died after a violent encounter with a wild elephant. Ramesha, who is mourning the loss of the 64-year-old jumbo jet, is also recovering from minor injuries and the trauma of the serious operation. “On Monday around 11 am, we were ordered to capture the wild elephant Vikrant and another elephant resembling ‘Karnataka Bheem’. I surrounded Arjun with mahout Vinu and Gundu and another employee Anila. Deputy Forest Officer of Dubare Elephant Camp, Ranjan was in Prashant. We were in a “knotted” forest with many bushes. We saw a big elephant in front of us, but we couldn’t confirm which one it was. That’s why we didn’t launch. He soon came near Arjun and I was ready to fire the dart… but we had to aim at his thigh, shoulder or neck. Otherwise, he may die.” “He attacked Arjun and I almost fell, but the mahouts picked me up as I held the rope. While falling, I fired the dart and it accidentally hit the leg of Prashant, the elephant. The local forest guards fired shots in the air, after which the wild elephant went away,” he said. By then, he said, the “Kumki” elephants had returned. DRFO Ranjan saw the dart in Prashant’s leg, removed it and called Dr. Ramesha to inject the antidote. He also saw the wound on Arjun’s leg after the wild jumbo attack. “Mahout Vinu was scared of the fight because the wild tusk could knock him down with its trunk,” Ramesha recalled. “Vinu came with me to inject medicine to Prashant. When I returned, Anila, Harisha (kavadi of elephant Sugriva) were sitting on Arjun. After a while, the wild elephant came back and started attacking Arjun again. “I gave medicines to Anila. “He fired the dart, but the wild elephant did not immediately faint.” Ramesh said that to save his life he got down and went away from the spot. “Despite all our efforts, including firing in the air, we could not drive away the elephants. Arjun suffered a serious injury near his left ear and fell down. But we could not help because the wild elephants were still around. Later, when we reached Arjun after driving away the herd, he had stopped breathing,” said Ramesh. During the operation, the team had to capture nine elephants and fit them with radio collars. Before Arjuna’s death, he managed to put necklaces on three female elephants and three tusks. One was shifted to Bandipur and two to Nagarhole, Ramesha said.