Lone tusker Omkar roams across three states

Separated from his herd, 10-year-old wild elephant Omkar has been wandering through Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg and Goa.

Transcript

00:00Three states, one elephant and damaged fields

00:02This is the story of Omkar, a 10-year-old wild tusker who has kept the villagers of

00:08Maharashtra's Sindhudurg on edge. A few months ago, Omkar was separated from his herd. Since then,

00:13he's been wandering across Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Goa's Konkan belt,

00:17leaving behind damaged fields and worried farmers.

00:20The forest departments of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka have been scrambling to find a solution.

00:25We only have facilities for domesticated elephants.

00:27We're looking for a place that can take care of wild elephants, said a senior forest official.

00:32Both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been approached for help in relocating Omkar,

00:36but neither has a necessary space. Karnataka even offered technical support,

00:40but made it clear that Maharashtra would have to take care of the elephant once captured.

00:44The orders to capture Omkar were issued a month ago, but officials admit they can't move ahead

00:49without a proper shelter for him. The terrain he has chosen in Sindhudurg and along the border areas

00:53doesn't help either, being dense, uneven and hard to navigate.

00:57Drones are being used to track his movements, ensuring he stays away from villages as much

01:01as possible. Officials say there's no immediate threat to human life.

01:05But Omkar isn't the only challenge. A herd of 25 to 30 elephants has also crossed into Vidharba

01:10from Chhattaskar. Capturing them isn't an option either. There's simply no space left to keep wild

01:16elephants. For now, all eyes are on Omkar, the lone tusker wandering between Maharashtra,

01:21Goa and Karnataka, searching for a home that doesn't yet exist.

01:25Law.