Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government has agreed to send a few elephants to Andhra Pradesh. This decision follows discussions between Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pavan Kalyan and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Speaking to media after the meeting, Eshwar Khandre assured that elephants would be provided without compromising the sentiments of environmentalists and the people of Karnataka. He emphasised that while elephants from Karnataka have been given to other States on previous occasions, the Dasara elephants will not be given to any State under any circumstances.

Khandre noted that Andhra Pradesh also faces challenges with wild elephants. He mentioned that Andhra Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Pavan Kalyan and Forest officials visited to discuss Karnataka’s measures, such as the installation of railway barricades, operations to capture and train wild elephants, and the training provided to mahouts.

The two States also discussed the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to address issues like conflict mitigation, eco-tourism promotion, anti-poaching efforts, particularly regarding red sanders and forest protection.

The MoU would formalise cooperation between the two States in tackling man-elephant conflict, and Karnataka’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for elephant capture would be extended to Andhra Pradesh.