Rogue Tusker Arikomban Enters Residential Areas In Tamil Nadu's Cumbum

Tamil Nadu Forest Department is also trying all-out efforts to capture the tusker from Cumbum and send it back to forest areas on Saturday. 

Rogue tusker Arikomban, translocated to Periyar tiger reserve from Idukki's Chinnakanal, entered residential areas in Cumbum town of Tamil Nadu on Saturday. The visual showing the tusker walking on the roads of the residential area has also gone viral on social media. 

The tusker reportedly injured three people while rampaging from the place. It also damaged several auto rickshaws, said a report on Manorama. 

Tamil Nadu Forest Department is also trying all-out efforts to capture the tusker from Cumbum and send it back to forest areas on Saturday. 

On Friday, a forest official said, "Arikomban was found just six kilometres away from the Kumily town. When it reached some 100 metres away from the inhabited area, we fired in the air to scare the animal and drive it back to the forest."

The Forest officials are closely monitoring the translocated tusker using GPS radio collar attached to the leg of the jumbo.

While speaking to media persons, Kerala Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran as per IANS said that the elephant was relocated from the Chinnakanal forest area after it created havoc at human settlements. The forest department was also planning to tranquilise the elephant and convert it into a 'kumki' elephant.

He said that animal lovers had moved the Kerala high court which led to tranquilising the elephant and relocating it to a forest area.

Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu, Sreenivas Reddy, while speaking to IANS said: "We will be tranquilising the elephant and relocating it to deep forest. The forest department team is ready for that."

Arikomban is famous for raiding ration shops and eating leftover rice. In Malayalam, Arikomban is known as 'Rice-Loving' Rusker. On April 30, forest officials transquilised the jumbo and released it into the deep interiors of Periyar Tiger Reserve.