Chennai, Aug 22 (BPNS)
Tamil Nadu forest department said that the rogue elephant, ‘Arikomban’ that was captured from Cumbum town and relocated to Tirunelveli forest is healthy. The forest department in a statement on Tuesday said that the animal had acclimatised with the new conditions and was taking enough food and water.
It may be noted that ‘Arikomban’ the rogue elephant at the Chinnakanal forest in Idukki district of Kerala used to raid several homes and ration shops in the area for rice. The wild elephant used to destroy shops and homes and were alleged to have killed a few people.
After several complaints were raised against the wild elephant, the Kerala forest department decided to capture the elephant and to convert it into a ‘Kumki’ elephant. However the Kerala High Court ordered to capture the elephant and to release in deep forest so that it don’t create a menace to the public.
The elephant was captured after firing several tranquilizers on it by the elite team of Kerala forest officials led by Dr. Arun Zakariah, the veterinarian who is credited with capturing several wild elephants. The elephant was captured from Chinnakanal on April 29, 2023, and later released to the Periyar National Park. The elephant reached human habitation in Cumbum town and the Tamil Nadu forest department captured it on June 5, 2023, and was relocated to deep forest in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.
Share this: