The minister said government is reclaiming forest land across Karnataka, 100 acres at Madenur near Hassan, and will appoint settlement officers to speed notifications process
Hassan
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the government has no proposal before it to establish a new zoo in Hassan and plans are focused on elephant rehabilitation facilities.
Khandre said instructions have been issued to begin the tender process for a proposed elephant camp within the next ten days to manage conflict areas. He said elephants are frequently moving outside forest limits in Hassan Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru causing crop loss and risk to human life in villages.
According to the forest department report submitted by senior officials, the elephant rehabilitation project has been proposed with scientific measures and coordination between divisions. He said Karnataka already has established zoos such as Mysuru Zoo and Bannerghatta Biological Park which are internationally recognised and support conservation education. He added that revenue from these major zoos is being used to maintain other zoological parks across the state.
The minister also said the government has started steps to reclaim forest land and protect encroached areas across Karnataka. As part of this initiative, 100 acres of forest land at Madenur near Hassan will be taken back under government control. He said notification of forest areas is progressing slowly and the government will appoint forest settlement officers to speed up the process.
The minister said the elephant camp project will help reduce human elephant conflict in Malnad regions and improve safety of farmers and villagers. He urged coordinated efforts from forest staff and local administrations to ensure timely implementation of conservation measures while balancing ecological protection and rural livelihood needs across districts in Karnataka state as planned under government policy framework.
