<p>Kusha, the elephant which was shifted from the Dubare elephant camp to the Moolehole forest area in Bandipur tiger reserve, has returned to Dubare in search of a mate.</p>.<p>As animal lovers expressed displeasure over Kusha being tied to chains and MP Maneka Gandhi urged the forest department to free the elephant, a meeting of senior officials in the presence of then minister Aravind Limbavali decided to release Kusha into the forest area in Bandipur tiger reserve after installing radio collar on it. </p>.<p>The jumbo was released into Bandipur forest in the first week of June last year. </p>.<p>Kusha has been moving constantly in Maldare and Dubare reserve forest near Dubare elephant camp said Kushalnagar range forest officer (RFO) Shivaram. </p>.<p>The elephant had managed to escape from the Dubare elephant camp in 2016 and made its way into the woods in search of a female partner.</p>.<p>With the help of two tamed elephants Lava and Kusha, he was brought back to the camp.</p>.<p>Kusha strayed into the forest in 2017 and remained untraceable for two years.</p>.<p>After continuous search operations, officials were able to bring him back to the camp.</p>.<p>When Kusha was in ‘musth’ stage, the elephant was tied to chains in March 2020.</p>.<p>He again escaped, joined a herd of 17 elephants and was seen moving with a female elephant. </p>.<p>Officials were successful in getting back Kusha to the camp from Meenukolli forest in March 2021.</p>.<p>He was confined to a wooden crawl so that mahouts could tame him. </p>.<p>Since this did not go down well with animal lovers, the government shifted him to Bandipur.</p>
<p>Kusha, the elephant which was shifted from the Dubare elephant camp to the Moolehole forest area in Bandipur tiger reserve, has returned to Dubare in search of a mate.</p>.<p>As animal lovers expressed displeasure over Kusha being tied to chains and MP Maneka Gandhi urged the forest department to free the elephant, a meeting of senior officials in the presence of then minister Aravind Limbavali decided to release Kusha into the forest area in Bandipur tiger reserve after installing radio collar on it. </p>.<p>The jumbo was released into Bandipur forest in the first week of June last year. </p>.<p>Kusha has been moving constantly in Maldare and Dubare reserve forest near Dubare elephant camp said Kushalnagar range forest officer (RFO) Shivaram. </p>.<p>The elephant had managed to escape from the Dubare elephant camp in 2016 and made its way into the woods in search of a female partner.</p>.<p>With the help of two tamed elephants Lava and Kusha, he was brought back to the camp.</p>.<p>Kusha strayed into the forest in 2017 and remained untraceable for two years.</p>.<p>After continuous search operations, officials were able to bring him back to the camp.</p>.<p>When Kusha was in ‘musth’ stage, the elephant was tied to chains in March 2020.</p>.<p>He again escaped, joined a herd of 17 elephants and was seen moving with a female elephant. </p>.<p>Officials were successful in getting back Kusha to the camp from Meenukolli forest in March 2021.</p>.<p>He was confined to a wooden crawl so that mahouts could tame him. </p>.<p>Since this did not go down well with animal lovers, the government shifted him to Bandipur.</p>