Bengaluru, 21 May

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday stressed the need for cooperation and coordination between states in mitigating human-elephant conflicts, as State handed over six Kumki (trained) elephants to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Four elephants were handed over by the State government to Andhra Pradesh at an event attended by Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The remaining two will be handed over later, Siddaramaiah said.

The elephants will be used to control herds of rogue elephants in Andhra Pradesh.

The elephants given are: Krishna, 15, which was captured in Chikkamagaluru in 2022; Shivamogga Abhimanyu, 14, captured in Honnali in 2023; Deva, 39, captured in Kushalnagar in 2019; and Ranjan, 26, an elephant born in the Dubare camp.

Siddaramaiah said there are 3,695 elephants in the State, probably the highest in the country.

"In recent times, the human-elephant conflicts are increasing, and cooperation of all states is important to prevent it. Only when there is coordination with other states, the conflicts can be brought down," he said. "Increasing forest cover and protecting the forest is a responsible job”.

Pawan Kalyan, later speaking to reporters, thanked State government for its help.

"Their mitigation measures are excellent and we are learning from the Karnataka government," he said. "We did not request elephants. It is their (Karnataka's) large-heartedness. Even if they had given two elephants, it was enough.”

Asked whether this is a new beginning in the relationship between the states, Kalyan said, "Exactly, this is what State Deputy CM DK Shivakumar also said. He spoke about talking to Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu regarding Tungabhadra water sharing. I will take the request. I will take it forward and meditate on whatever is needed between both states."