Hello friends! Are you interested in elephant care or forest conservation? Is it your dream to launch a career with the Karnataka Forest Department? If so, here is some good news! The Government of Karnataka has issued a recruitment notification to fill a total of 56 ‘Elephant Mahout’ (Group D) vacancies across various forest circles for the year 2026, and is inviting offline applications from candidates with relevant experience in the field.

KFD Recruitment 2026

The posts of Elephant Driver (Group D) have been distributed in various forest circles including Mysore Circle, Chamarajanagar Circle, Kodagu Circle, Shivamogga Circle. What is special is that there is no application fee to apply for these posts and there is no rigorous written test regarding the recruitment process, candidates with practical experience in handling elephants will be selected through an interview.

Here, the selected candidates will be given a monthly salary of Rs. 29,600/- to Rs. 52,800/-. So, what are the eligibility criteria for this post? What is the age limit? How much is the monthly salary for the selected candidates? Let’s find out the complete information about how many posts are vacant in which forest circles in the current article.

Job Overview:

Name of the recruiting agency	Karnataka Forest Department (KFD)
Post Name	Elephant Driver (Group D) Posts
Number of vacancies	Total 56 vacancies
Place of employment	Karnataka (Mysore Circle, Kodagu Circle, Shimoga Circle, Canara Circle and Chamarajanagar Circle)
How to apply	Offline
Last date for submission of application	03-09-2026 and 04-09-2026

About the position:

The Government of Karnataka has invited applications from eligible and interested candidates for the vacant posts of Elephant Keeper (Group D) in the Forest Department (KFD) in the year 2026 with the aim of strengthening forest and wildlife conservation. Candidates with experience in elephant management and the ability to speak and understand Kannada language residing within the notified forests of the state of Karnataka and having the age limit of 18 to 40 years are eligible to apply for this post.

Eligibility criteria for the position:

Candidates must be residing within the notified forest area of Karnataka State. It is mandatory to have a certificate from the concerned Tahsildar to confirm this.
In addition, candidates must have experience in elephant handling.
Candidates must have the ability to speak and understand Kannada.

Brief description of the position:

The complete details of the vacant Elephant Caretaker (Group D) posts in the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) are as follows.

Job details	Number of posts
Canara Circle (Shirasi – Kali Tiger Reserve)	1 positions
Chamarajanagar Circle (Bandipur Tiger Reserve)	8 positions
Shivamogga Circle (Shivamogga Wildlife Division)	9 positions
Kodagu Circle (Madikeri)	11 posts
Mysore Circle (Rajiv Gandhi National Park, Hunsur)	27 vacancies

Age limit details:

As per the current recruitment notification, candidates applying for the vacant posts of Elephant Driver (Group D) in the Forest Circle of the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) should have the following age limit.

Candidates of all categories must be at least 18 years of age.
Candidates of general categories should have a maximum age limit of 35 years.
Category 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B candidates should have a maximum age limit of 38 years.
Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Category-I candidates should have a maximum age limit of 40 years.

Age relaxation details:

As per government regulations, there is an age relaxation of 5 years on the maximum age limit for all categories of candidates. Ex-servicemen candidates will get an additional age relaxation of three years excluding the period of service.

Salary Range:

The candidates selected for the vacant posts of Elephant Driver (Group D) in various forest circles will be offered an attractive salary ranging from Rs. 29,600/- to Rs. 52,800/- per month.

Application fee:

There is no application fee prescribed for any category of candidates applying for the vacant posts of Elephant Driver (Group D) in the Karnataka Forest Department. Therefore, candidates can participate in the selection process by submitting their applications by post free of cost.

Required documents:

Aadhar card
Proof of age
Residence confirmation letter
Elephant Management Certificate
Caste and income certificate
Physical and mental fitness certificate
And other necessary documents

How to apply:

Eligible candidates should visit the official website of Karnataka Forest Department (KFD).
Download and take a printout of the application form for the posts of Elephant Driver (Group D) given in the recruitment section.
Fill in all the personal details, address, educational details, experience details and other necessary details as asked in the application form.
Paste your recent passport size photograph in the designated space on the application form.
Attach all the required documents given above with the application form.
Place the filled application form in an envelope, write in large letters on it “Application for the post of Elephant Caretaker” and visit the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests of the concerned forest circle in person or deliver it by post.

Address for submitting applications:

Shivamogga Circle: Office of the Conservator of Forests, Shivamogga Circle

Kodagu Circle: Office of the Conservator of Forests, Kodagu Circle, Madikeri, Aranya Bhavan

Canara Circle: Office of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Canara Circle, Sirsi – 581 402

Mysuru Circle: Chief Conservator of Forests and Selection Authority, Mysuru Circle, Aranya Bhavan, Ashokapuram, Mysuru – 570 008

Chikkamagaluru Circle: Office of the Conservator of Forests, Chikkamagaluru Circle

Important dates:

Major event	Date
Last date for submission of application	05-08-2026
Last date for submission of applications in Mysore, Canada, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar forest circles	03-09-2026
Last date to apply in Shivamogga circle	04-09-2026

Selection Process:

Application Verification:

In the first stage, the applications submitted by the candidates are reviewed and eligible candidates are called for an interview.

Experience test and interview:

A 100-mark test and interview will be conducted for eligible candidates regarding their ability to speak and understand Kannada language and their experience and ability in elephant management.

Final choice:

Based on the marks obtained by the candidates in the experience test and interview and in accordance with the reservation rules, a provisional and final list will be prepared and eligible candidates will be selected.

Final conclusion:

Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) has issued a recruitment notification for the vacant posts of Elephant Kavadigas in various forest circles. This is a good opportunity for candidates with experience in elephant management. Candidates who are interested in applying for this post should read the official notification related to the vacant post of Elephant Kavadigas in the forest circle of their choice, download the application form at the end, fill it accurately and submit the application before the last date.

Application Farm Link

Official website link	Click here
Official Notification PDF Link (Shivamogga)	Click here
Official Notification PDF Link (Chamarajanagar)	Click here
Official Notification PDF Link (Kodagu)	Click here
Official Notification PDF Link (Mysore)	Click here
Official Notification PDF Link (Canada)	Click here
Application link	Click here

KFD: Rs. 52,800/- Salary! Karnataka Forest Department New Recruitment 2026. No Exam! No Application Fee