A week after translocation from Idukki's Chinnakanal, the rouge tusker Arikomban is now a nightmare to the residents of Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu. On Friday, the tusker was found in the inhabited areas of Theni district.
According to Manorama, Tamil Nadu forest department is keeping track of the elephant with the help of a 120-member unit to prevent unexpected raids by the wild elephant.
Meanwhile, the forest department has also issued a circular telling the people in the vicinity to avoid night travel in Meghamalai and Manalar.
The jumbo had traveled at least 40 km in the past 4 days from Periyar Tiger Reserve.
The tusker Arikomban was translocated to Periyar Tiger Reserve from Chinnakanal. The relocation took place based on the demand of the locals for several months.
After the relocation, the elephant bench missing on Tuesday night and the official once again found the jumbo at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu forest border.
Following this, the officials in Tamil Nadu border increased their surveillance to keep a check on the jumbo. A team of forest Rangers from Kerala has also been deployed to check the satellite signals from the radio caller placed in the elephant.
Mission Arikomban
Mission Arikomban had gone through several controversies, with animal rights activists opposing the move of the forest department to capture and tame it to become a Kumki elephant at Kodanad Elephant Centre in Ernakulam district.
They petitioned the High Court, which, after hearing the plea, stopped the department’s move.
The court appointed an expert committee to study the issue. The panel suggested that the elephant be translocated to a wild area where there would be no chance of conflict with humans.
The committee had suggested shifting the elephant to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve. Soon, protests erupted in the Parambikulam area, with residents fiercely opposing the move. The High Court then asked the Kerala government to release it in a place of its choice and asked them to keep the location a secret.
(With PTI inputs)