Perumbavoor: The forest department’s attempt to take an elephant for training in Tamil Nadu was blocked due to the disagreement of the natives. The authorities were blocked by hundreds of people when they reached there at 2 AM. The attempts of police to execute the actions of the department was also futile.
The elephant named Neelakandan from the Kodanad elephant training centre was planned to be taken to Muthumala camp for a special training called Kongi. It is a training which helps to tackle the elephants which come from the forest and harm people. Neelakandan who was found in a pit when he was 2 years old has turned 22 now. He is fit and an affectionate animal.
The elephants that were taken from the training centre never came back. The natives comment that this issue will adversely affect the scope of Kodanad, which is a popular eco-tourism spot. Though the forest department has built a museum named ‘Abhayaranyam’ stretched over 300 acres, it needs development.
The natives of Kodanad united against the forest department’s move as elephants are the main highlight of Kodanad. Forest conservator Achal Kumar conducted a meeting in which he announced that the decision to take the elephant is temporarily withheld.
Perumbavoor MLA Eldose Kunnappilly, people’s representatives Maya Krishnakumar, block panchayat member M P Prakash, Sabu Pathikkal, M S Sukumaran, and O K Shanmukhan attended the meeting.
