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63 year old Arjuna, the elephant that carried the golden howdah during the Dasara procession, died in a fight with a wild elephant during the elephant capture operation near Yeslur in Sakleshpura on Monday

The Forest Department had been conducting the operation to capture troublesome tuskers in the Sakleshpura, Aluru, Beluru & Yesluru ranges of Hassan. During the operation, a wild tusker attacked Arjuna, who succumbed to injuries he suffered in the stomach. When the wild elephant chased the other four jumbos, three ran away but Arjuna stood and fought which turned out to be fatal. The incident has forced the department to stop the operation

Arjuna was captured in 1968 during the Khedda Operation from Kakanakote. He carried the Golden Howdah nine times till 2019, when he turned 60. Besides that, he participated in many elephant capture operations