Mysuru: Mahouts & Kavadis, who have arrived with the Dasara elephant team from various camps, are preparing for a crucial operation: Preparing the sturdy ropes to capture wild elephants.

Teams of Mahouts and Kavadis are preparing the ropes with jute to capture wild elephants that have been causing disturbances in regions such as Bannerghatta, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru.

These elephants, identified for their troublesome behaviour, are set to be captured in an operation that is being quietly planned in the background. These ropes, made from jute harvested from different areas, are specially designed to secure the captured elephants without injuring their legs.

The ropes are soft on the skin but sturdy enough to hold an elephant. Training a captured elephant in a kraal takes at least a year, requiring durable ropes that can withstand long-term use.

Mahouts and Kavadis carefully select raw jute, soak it in water to smoothen it and weave it into long ones extending up to 80 ft. For Dasara, a team of ten skilled staff members crafts five such ropes. After each use, these ropes lose their strength and cannot be reused, requiring new ones to be prepared annually. Natural jute ropes are preferred over nylon ones because they are gentle on the elephants.

For the past two days, after completing their regular elephant training, the Mahouts and Kavadis have been spending their free time weaving the large, robust ropes needed for the upcoming operations. Silent yet significant preparations continue as the team readies itself for the challenging task ahead.