Chennai, Jan 3 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is devising plans to tranquilise and capture wild tusker ‘Karuppan’, which has become a threat to the life and property of people living near the forest area in Hasanur and Jeerahalli forest ranges in Erode district, officials said.
It has already deployed services of two Kumki elephants, Muthu and Kapil Dev to monitor the movement of the wild tusker.
A senior forest officer told IANS that the kumkis were brought from the elephant camp at Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) to capture Karuppan but the wild tusker had shifted its position from Hasanur forest range to Jeerahali forest range.
The forest officials said that it is difficult for the forest officials to pinpoint the location of the elephant as it keeps shuttling between both forest ranges.
Experienced kumki elephant Chinnathambi was brought earlier to capture the wild tusker along with the other kumki, Muthu but it fell ill and is now replaced with Kapil Dev.
The local people of Jeerahali have complained to the Forest Department that acres of crops were destroyed by the wild tusker and it is also alleged that two people were killed by the elephant. However, forest officials said that this has to be ascertained whether this particular elephant was behind the killings or not.
Hasanur forest range officer Devendra Kumar Meena told media persons that the operation to capture the wild tusker will commence within a week and the department is making sure that the elephant is tranquilised and captured.
The Forest Department is also planning to radio collar the elephant before relocating to deep forests. After commencing the operation to capture the elephant, it would press into service more kumki elephants if required.
–IANS
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