Palakkad: A new mahout will soon take charge of troublemaker elephant PT 7 (Palakkad Tusker 7), who was tranquilised and captured after days of relentless efforts. The tusker is currently kept inside a special cage constructed using Eucalyptus trees in Dhoni, Palakkad. 

Although the jumbo tried to escape from the cage using its trunk and legs, the attempts failed to yield results. Meanwhile, people were allowed entry to the Dhoni forest division to get a glimpse of the elephant. 

“PT 7 will be given one week time in order to familiarise with the cage as part of the efforts to tame it into a kumki elephant. Later, a mahout will be appointed to take care of him. A special food menu has also been prepared for the jumbo,” said Dr Arun Zachariah, chief veterinary surgeon.

“PT 7 will not be tortured in any manner. Rather, a method of 'positive inducement' will be adopted to train the elephant by giving him food, water and medicines with the aid of the mahout,” he added. 

‘PT 7’, who has been renamed ‘Dhoni’, was tranquilised and guided into a truck the other day with the help of three Kumki elephants namely Surendran, Bharat and Vikram. At one point, the wild tusker even tried attacking one of the kumki elephants.

As the jumbo is quite accustomed to human beings, he can be easily tamed through training for about four months or more.