Captured! Tamil Nadu to rehabilitate wild tusker 'Arikomban' from Kerala

A team of forest officials tranquilised wild tusker 'Arikomban' on Sunday night and are in the process of translocating it to a suitable habitat in Srivilliputtur Forest Reserve.

Cumbum: Wild tusker Arikomban from Kerala which has been loitering in a border town of Tamil Nadu was located and tranquilised by a team of forest officials who have been tracking the pachyderm's movement, on Sunday night. According to the forest officials, efforts are on to translocate the distressed animal to a suitable habitat within its purview.

'Mission Arikomban' that lasted for full 10 days was partially achieved with capture of the animal. The wild tusker entered Tamil Nadu from neighbouring Kerala on May 27. The man-animal conflict forced the pachyderm run amok in the busy streets of Cumbum town scaring the unassuming denizens of Theni district. The run also resulted in a loss of human life and some property.

Fondly known as 'Arikomban' for its love for the rice meant for distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS), the tusker forced the town to shutdown while it strode along and necessitated 'Mission Arikomban'. The state forest department finally captured the tusker which was roaming in a residential area at Theni's Poosanampatti late on Sunday night.

It is learnt the task force has fired two rounds of tranquiliser shots at the elephant before it was coerced to climb on to the forest vehicle. Forest officials said, ”the task force loaded the animal in the elephant ambulance after tying it down. Three 'kumki elpehants' are taken for the mission."

Sources said the elephant is likely to be translocated to the deep forest in Vellimalai or Meghamalai hills located in Srivilliputtur Forest Reserve. "Arikomban the wild tusker was safely tranquilised in early hours today in Cumbum East Range by a team of Forest Veterinary Surgeons and Forest Department officials.The elephant is being translocated to a suitable habitat where the Tamil Nadu Forest Department will continue to monitor him(sic)," Forest Secretary Supriya Sahu wrote in Twitter.

Prohibitory orders which were in place in Cumbum municipality was relaxed after the animal was caught. Official orders to this effect was issued on Monday. On April 29, the Kerala Forest department relocated Arikomban to the Periyar tiger reserve which was 105 kilometres from from Chinnakanal(Idukki district) which 105 km away. The animal began its journey towards Tamil Nadu and entered the residential areas of Cumbum as stated above.