A day after the tragic death of a tourist from Tamil Nadu who was caught in a furious clash between captive elephants Kanjan and Marthanda, the popular Dubare Elephant Camp near Kushalnagar in Kodagu has been closed indefinitely for visitors.

“The camp will remain closed for tourists until further instructions,” a senior forest official said.

The decision follows directions issued by Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre to strengthen tourist safety measures at elephant camps across the State after the incident at Dubare.

The Minister has ordered the preparation of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for visitor safety and instructed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden to tighten safety protocols.

Also, officials have been directed to ensure that tourists do not go near elephants and maintain a minimum distance of 100 ft while watching elephant bathing activities at all elephant camps in the State. The restrictions are aimed at regulating tourist interaction with captive elephants and preventing a recurrence of incidents similar to the one reported at Dubare.

Importantly, tourists will no longer be allowed to directly feed elephants with bananas, jaggery, sugarcane or other food items. Amid the directives, the Forest Department decided to temporarily close the camp until safety protocols are put in place.

Kodagu Deputy Conservator of Forests Abhishek told The Hindu that the closure is likely to remain in force until visitor safety SOPs are finalised. “Until there is confidence that visitors are safe, the camp will remain out of bounds for tourists,” he said.

He noted that Dubare receives significant tourist footfall in Kodagu and is among the district’s major attractions. Along with Harangi and Nisargadhama, Dubare remains one of the key tourist destinations in the region.