Speaking to Deccan Herald from Kesuve camp in Muthodi zone, he said the work on estimated number of elephants and categorisation on age was held on Saturday. The elephant dung were numbered on line transact method on Sunday. The census of elephants near streams and ponds will be held on Monday. The estimated number of elephants in Bhadra wild life division will be found by Tuesday. About 45 volunteers and 69 staff are into the census process.
“We are into finding out the number of elephants in Kesave line. We have sighted 13 elephants on Saturday. We have identified the samples of 10 elephant dung on Sunday,” said Bangalore based volunteer Purushotham and Prashanth.
“Elephant census is being held once in five years. Elephant census was held in Bhadra in 2005. There were around 200 elephants then,” said RFO Shantharaj. The volunteers were thrilled to sight deer, antelope during the census process. On Sunday, they were thrilled to see the sight of a deer being waylaid by a leopard at Kesuve camp at 3.30 pm on Sunday.
Bamboo, favourite food of elephant have been grown in plenty in Bhadra reserve forest.