'Thanneer Komban needs no branding of a particular state', it was not right to send elephant back, says Karnataka Forest Minister

BENGALURU: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwara Khandre on Saturday said that the wild elephant 'Thanneer Komban', which died after being tranquillized and captured from Mananthavady, needs no branding of a particular state. The minister said that branding wild creatures as state property is wrong. He argued that just because the elephant had a radio collar installed by the Karnataka Forest Department did not mean that it should be sent back to that state. He stated that he would speak with Kerala Forest Minister AK Saseendran about a number of issues, including this.

Khandre expressed his concern that the footage of the Kerala Forest Department tranquillising the elephant was circulating on social media. The Minister stated that Karnataka regrets the loss of the precious life of an elephant and will investigate where and who is at fault.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem report of the wild elephant had come out. The report stated that the elephant's heart and lungs stopped together. There is an old wound on the left thigh. The report also states that the pus on the leg has spread to other parts of the body. In the preliminary report of the Karnataka Forest Department, it was pointed out that the death of Thanneer Kompan was due to a heart attack.