Chennai: The news of a jumbo being hit and killed by a bus in Karnataka made headlines recently.
Elephants dying in human-animal conflict is not new and this is not going to end anytime in the near future unless action is taken.
This article is not about the human-animal conflict but about the victim who has been given the name ‘Rowdy’. Who is Ranga, and why was he given such a name – Rowdy Ranga?
The elephant was a 38-year-old, full-grown bull captured near the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) in Karnataka.
After that he was sent to the Nagerhole National Park where he was being conditioned. Ranga made it to the headlines after it reportedly killed a farmer near Bannerghatta in 2006.
He was the leader of a 11-member male elephants gang that roamed the corridor stretching from Bannerghatta and Ragihalli to Kaggalipura off Kanakapura Road.
Speaking to News Today, Avinash Krishnan, scientist with A Rocha India, who has been tracking Ranga from its early days, said the animal was actually part of a three-member, crop-raider gang in 1997-98.
“This gang used to travel almost 100 km from Bannerghatta to reach the fields in Tumkur (this place is said not to be in the elephant corridor and was reportedly found by the crop raider due to the presence of crops). After a few years, the two elderly adults died following which Ranga took the lead and started taking other bulls for the crop raid. The name Ranga was given by the locals because of his fearless nature towards humans and the havoc he caused to the crops in the locality,” he said.
SEASONAL VISITOR
It is said Ranga used to camp in Tumkur during summer and return to Bannerghatta in the winter during the musth period
Avinash explained that each elephant has a different personality just like humans and you cannot expect all the jumbos to behave in the same way in the wild.
“There are many jumbos that cause as much as havoc as Ranga and there are other elephants who are too shy to come out in the open,” he said.
Avinash said once Ranga was captured and held in captivity, he became surprisingly submissive and began to pay heed to commands quicker than other jumbos would have.
“This might possibly be due to his close encounters with humans all these years and the liking towards the food given there. For the past two years, there has been no incident reported during its stay in the camp,” he added.
THE END
Asked what he thought could be the reason behind the accident and death of Ranga, Avinash said, “There are multiple factors, including the speed of the vehicle. The condition might have also affected the cognitive instinct of the animal. When it was in the wild and free, its senses would have been sharp, and this might have gone down in captivity which is also another possibility,” he added.
It is sad that the animal which had many bruises and injuries all over its body and has crossed several roads and rail tracks had to die in an accident.
IN HIDING
Avinash said at one point of time the depredations of Ranga reached such a state that it was said the Forest Department had issued instructions for his capture. “However, when combing operations began, Ranga was nowhere to be found and it was assumed he may have been poached for his valuable tusks. But he was spotted almost after a year near Tumkur,” he said.
SAVING GRACE
A Rocha India is a conservation organisation in Bannerghatta, Karnataka. It is part of the International A Rocha organisation, with presence in 19 countries across the world.
A Rocha India has been working exclusively in the landscape of Bannerghatta National Park for the past 10 years on the ecology of the Asian elephant and the mitigation of human-elephant conflict, which is predominant there.
A science-based organisation, a part of its aim is to create awareness among the general population on the concerns that affect the survival of the Asian elephant, both captive and wild.
RARE HONOUR
Rowdy Ranga was supposed to carry the howdah during the Dussehra festivities in Karnataka this year. Unfortunately he died in the accident.