Please Help Stop ‘Kolubete’: A Ritual Hunting Festival — 18th-25th Dec, 2014

In the ritual hunting festival called, ‘Kolubete’, thousands of innocent wild animals are mercilessly killed while lakhs of villagers stand by to watch the event. This year, two hunting festivals are planned to be held on December 18th, 2014 and on Dec 25th, 2014.

Shri Ajay Misra, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Karnataka Forest Department has issued directions to stop the hunting festival in all districts of Karnataka. Along with this, an awareness programme is planned to be conducted with support from Forest Department, People for Animals (PFA), Kengeri, Prani Daya Sangh, Vishwa Prani Kalyan Mandal and Watchers India Trust. Your support in stopping the Hunting Festival by volunteering and bringing in volunteers to be a part of this awareness campaign will greatly help in making this Campaign successful.

Interested volunteers may register their names now with Shri Praveen at pravinpfa@gmail.com or call: 9945736035.

Campaign Dates: December 13th, 14th, 20th and 21st, 2014.

Hunting Festival Dates: December 18th and 25th, 2014.

Support needed: Individuals, Organizations and Institutions that can provide support for this campaign by mobilizing a large number of interested volunteers as well as making arrangements for transportation and food for the volunteers will be greatly appreciated.

Work profile for Campaign Volunteers: Campaign volunteers will be expected to speak to villagers in Kannada and inform the villagers calmly and patiently about the suffering that animals undergo. It is essential to explain to the villagers that it is illegal to hunt wild animals, which is a punishable offence under the law.

Location: Kalukunte bete, Arudi bete, Motganali bete, Entganali bete, Kellagete bete, Thyamaguntla bete, Okkadi bete,Sorevanehalli bete and Balikatha bete.

Additional notes: The hunting areas start from Hesaraghatta forests near Ministry of Agriculture and Central Animal Husbandry department and Central Fodder Seed Production unit (CFSP) up to Morenalli. From there on up to Kodipalya, and Madhur (near Madhure lake), Belavangala, Chikbelavangala, Harodi and Saslu. Other villages close by are Sigenalli and Banothi. In Banothi, there is a Hanuman temple called Beta Anjenaya temple where Bete Anjenaya means hunting Hanuman god. There wildlife that are killed are presented to god and then distributed. Bamuldapura and Yemegunta are a few more places. At Aapkarranalli (Yelakalu) hunting is yet to take place. At Yelekunte bete the hunting will be on 18th.

Another hunting festival is planned to be held at Karekalubete, Kalkuntebete, Kolubete and Hogekuntebete. Hulikuntebete is expected to be the biggest bete or biggest hunting festival and will be conducted on thursday 25th after Yelekuntebete. In this festival also killed wild animals are presented to Bete Ranganathaswamy god (which means hunting Ranganathswamy god) and then distributed.