Operation Kannur Makhna: Kumki elephants Vikram, Bharath arrive to capture ‘tuskless’ elephant

Iritty (Kerala): Kumki elephants Vikram and Bharath have arrived from Muthanga to help capture the tuskless male elephant that has been posing a threat in Aralam farm and the rehabilitation area. An elephant kraal (anakottil) has also been prepared at Muthanga to house the animal after it is captured.

The operation to capture the elephant, named Operation Kannur Makhna, is likely to begin within the next few days. Vikram and Bharath, both kumkis from the Muthanga Elephant Camp, were brought to Valayamchal inside the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary on Friday night.

Efforts are also under way to bring in a third kumki. Vikram, who played a key role in the operation to capture Arikomban, and Bharat, who has participated in several other missions, will be joined by another kumki if the effort succeeds.

The Forest Department’s Rapid Action Team continues to monitor the elephant and search for its location. Once the animal is found and a suitable spot is identified, experts will begin preparations to tranquilise it.
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Vikram and Bharath, former ‘troublemakers’ in Wayanad

The elephant, later named Bharath, was captured after being tranquilised on November 22, 2016, following repeated incidents in residential areas and farmlands in Wayanad. The capture came after protests triggered by its attack on and injury to a farmer. Two years later, it was named Bharath and trained as a kumki.

Vikram was captured on March 11, 2019, when the elephant, then known as Vadakkanad Komban, developed a reputation for aggressive behaviour and repeatedly caused problems. Several protests, including an indefinite hunger strike, were held demanding its capture.

The elephant was tranquilised and captured after it allegedly gored a tribal boy to death at Ponkuzhi. It was later named Vikram and trained as a kumki. 
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Efforts to track down the elephant intensify

The Chief Wildlife Warden issued an order around one-and-a-half months ago to tranquilise and capture the tuskless elephant, which has been responsible for several deaths in Aralam.

A special team had camped in Aralam to monitor the elephant before the tranquilisation operation, but the animal remained elusive. As a result, the operation, which was originally planned before Onam under the name Operation Kannur Makhna, was delayed.

The Aralam Wildlife Warden said the mission could begin within two days if favourable conditions arise to locate and tranquilise the elephant.