Chamarajanagar, Dec 14 (IANS): An incident of a speeding truck in Bandipur Tiger Reserve area ramming into a female elephant and killing it has been reported on Wednesday.

According to the authorities, the police have arrested the driver and seized the truck. The truck driver had violated the night travel prohibition by the Karnataka government and was travelling in the tiger reserve.

The truck had hit the elephant which was standing on the road and the impact was such that the female elephant died on the spot on Tuesday night.

The movement of heavy vehicles is banned in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve Area to ensure the safety of wild animals. The forest department sleuths rushed to the spot and arrested the driver.

The environmentalists have taken objection to the development and slammed the forest authorities for allowing the vehicle inside the reserve forest in the night.

The issue of allowing movement of heavy vehicles during the night in Bandipur reserve forest has been a bone of contention between Kerala and Karnataka states. Kerala state has been demanding to open the road for movement of vehicles and even approached the courts also. However, the Karnataka government has taken a firm stand at not allowing any movement of heavy vehicles in the forest stretch.