The Forest Department of Karnataka captured a tusker believed to have caused the death of a woman in Mugali village, Sakleshpur taluk, on January 13. On January 16, staff sedated and caught the 25-year-old elephant near Bellavara in Belur taluk, with help from tamed elephants. The tusker, which had recently entered Hassan division, will be moved out of the area. Sourabh Kumar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) of Hassan, told reporters on January 16, “The animal had been captured within 100 hours after the woman’s death.” He added, “We wrote for permission to capture it on the same day. The next day, we got the go-ahead and started preparing. We decided to capture it after watching its behavior.” The woman, Shobha, 42, an agricultural laborer, was killed while working in a plantation. She was trampled after being chased a few meters by the elephant. Her mother, also working nearby, escaped. The tusker had earlier chased another person. The DCF said, “Within days of entering the area, it traveled across Sakleshpur, Alur and Belur ranges.” Even after being tranquilized, the elephant moved around for some time, forcing officials to track it with drones. A large team including police helped in the operation. The elephant will be translocated based on senior officers’ instructions.