Arikomban being transferred | Videograb: YouTube/Mathrubhumi News
Idukki: The rogue elephant Arikomban, captured from the Chinnakanal region here, will be released to the Periyar forest. Forest department officials said Methakanam in the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Idukki was chosen to release it. Methakanam is located approximately 15 kilometres from Thekkady, and is a densely forested area near the Tamil Nadu border. Periyar reserve forest is approximately a three and a half hour drive from Chinnakanal.
The GPS satellite collar was attached to the animal to track its movements after releasing it into the forest.
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Arikomban, named for its habit of raiding ration shops and houses for rice (Ari), has killed 7 people and destroyed 31 buildings in the locality over the past three months, according to the forest department. The capture of the elephant has been delayed due to the unavailability of a GPS satellite collar and legal hurdles.
The elephant was taken via the Nedumkandam-Kumily-Vallakadavu route. Electricity on the Chinnakanal-Kumily route was turned off to transfer Arikomban. The traffic on the route was regulated.
The elephant was tranquilised by Saturday evening. Arikomban, which is 35 years old, was reportedly shot five times by a team led by senior veterinary officer Arun Zachariah of the forest department in the attempt to tranquillise it. The first shot was fired at 11:54 am, followed by a second dose at 12:43 pm. The third, fourth, and fifth doses were administered at 2 pm. Kumki elephants, including Konni Surendran, Suryan, Kunju, and Vikram, assisted in loading the elephant onto a lorry. Despite heavy rainfall in the area during the loading process, the mission was successful and the elephant was fitted with a satellite collar.
The government has imposed section 144 (curfew) in Kumily to avoid protest against the decision. Earlier, Parambikulam residents protested when the Kerala High Court appointed an expert committee that suggested transferring the elephant to the Palakkad forest. They later approached the court which then asked the government to find a suitable place for the elephant. The court objected to the government's decision to keep the elephant in captivity at Kodanad Elephant Training Centre.
The government later informed the court that it was unable to finalise a location. The shortlisted locations were handed over to the expert committee, which picked the location.
Arikomban was taken to Periyar on a lorry, accompanied by several other government vehicles. The traffic on the route was regulated. The elephant was tranquilised by Saturday evening. Arikomban, which is 35 years old, was reportedly shot five times by a team led by senior veterinary officer Arun Zachariah of the forest department in the attempt to tranquillise it.
The first shot was fired at 11:54 am, followed by a second dose at 12:43 pm. The third, fourth, and fifth doses were administered at 2 pm. Kumki elephants, including Konni Surendran, Suryan, Kunju, and Vikram, assisted in loading the elephant onto a lorry. Despite heavy rainfall in the area during the loading process, the mission was successful and the elephant was fitted with a satellite collar.
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