Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided to appeal in the Supreme Court on Monday against the order of the high court division bench regarding the translocation of the rogue Idukki elephant Arikomban to another forest within the state. The high court had directed the state to decide on a new location for the elephant as protests were raised against the court’s initial decision to relocate the animal to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Palakkad.

“It is very difficult to find a forest for the rehabilitation of Arikomban. We tried to implement the HC verdict to transfer the jumbo to Parambikulam but faced fierce protests. It is impossible to move forward if people carry out protests. The court said that the government should find a new place. But most of the places are close to residential areas,” the minister said. He added that the government would seek more time to implement the high court order.

The decision comes after a five-member committee, constituted by the high court on March 29, recommended translocating the animal to Parambikulam instead of turning it into a captive tusker.

The high court's order was issued in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by two animal rights groups, People for Animals (PFA), Trivandum Chapter, and the Walking Eye Foundation for Animal Advocacy.

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. The forest department has finally arranged for a satellite collar from Assam on Thursday to proceed with the capture mission.