Target: Eshwar B. Khandre, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Karnataka, India
Goal: Approve, fund, and fast-track a humane Elephant Soft Release Center and 24/7 wildlife command system to prevent violent human-elephant encounters and protect communities and elephants alike.
Karnataka’s conflict zones are on edge. Families fear nightly crop raids and surprise encounters, while elephants—highly intelligent, social beings—are pushed into dangerous proximity with villages and roads. State leaders have signaled a turning point: experts have recommended establishing an Elephant Soft Release Center, with Tanigebail in Chikkamagaluru identified as a more suitable site than Muthodi. This dedicated habitat, paired with early-warning systems and real-time monitoring, could separate risk from daily life and save lives on both sides.
Time, however, is not on anyone’s side. Conflict-prone hotspots must be mapped, movement routes charted, and warning alerts issued to residents before elephants enter settlements. A round-the-clock command center that tracks herds, dispatches response teams, and sends reliable phone alerts will help stop panic and prevent injuries. Rail and road barricade projects, plus the conversion of known passageways into safe corridors, can reduce catastrophic crossings. Meanwhile, invasive weeds like Lantana and Senna are degrading forests and pushing wildlife to forage in fields; large-scale eradication is essential to restore natural food and cover.
A humane soft-release center, anchored by science, staffed adequately, and built with community consent, can calm conflict at the source. Clear timelines, guaranteed funding (including CAMPA support), and transparent reporting should guide the rollout. This is the moment to turn good intentions into protected habitats, reliable alerts, safer villages, and far fewer tragedies. Sign below to demand leaders act decisively and make Karnataka a leader in non-lethal, compassion-driven coexistence.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Minister Khandre,
Karnataka stands at a pivotal moment. Your department’s consideration of an Elephant Soft Release Center—alongside early-warning systems and a 24/7 command center—offers a humane path to reduce dangerous encounters between elephants and people. Experts have identified Tanigebail in Chikkamagaluru as a strong candidate site, and you have underscored the importance of community consultations, mapping conflict zones, and studying movement patterns. These are exactly the steps that can prevent late-night fear, crop loss, injuries, and fatal collisions.
We respectfully urge you to approve, fund, and fast-track this initiative with a clear, public timeline. A dedicated elephant habitat, robust monitoring, real-time village alerts, and trained rapid-response teams will help avert confrontations before they happen. Please also ensure safe passage infrastructure—rail and road barricades where needed, and properly designed wildlife underpasses and corridors where elephants naturally move—so herds are guided away from traffic and settlements.
Finally, the forest itself needs healing. Invasive plants such as Lantana and Senna are degrading habitat and pushing elephants toward farms. Large-scale eradication, modeled on effective programs in neighboring states, should run in parallel with the soft-release plan so that restored forests sustain wildlife within protected boundaries.
With decisive leadership, CAMPA support, and steady community engagement, Karnataka can become a model of humane, evidence-based coexistence that keeps families safe and safeguards elephant lives. Please act now to make this vision a reality.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Timothy A. Gonsalves
