Iritty (Kannur): Even 8 months of isolation couldn’t calm down Chullikomban. He had to be given three tranquilizer shots after which he tried to attack the veterinary surgeon. On Friday evening, he was brought to Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary and housed in a special cage.
It was decided to shift Chullikomban to Muthanga in a lorry after taming him with the help of kumki elephant Pramukha brought from Tamil Nadu. On Friday morning, tranquiliser expert Dr Arun Sakkariya and Chief Conservator of Forests (Northern Region) Sravan Kumar reached Aralam. The first shot was fired at 9 in the morning. Expecting that the elephant had fallen unconscious, the doctor tried to enter the cage. However, he had a narrow escape from the violent elephant.
Then two more shots were fired to calm down the elephant. After an hour with the help of Pramukha, he was loaded onto the lorry and taken to Muthanga. Now the total number of elephants here is seven.
Chullikomban had earlier taken four lives in a span of three years and then was kept in isolation at Aralam. It was possibile after two kumki elephants putting in efforts for 19 hours. It was decided to shift him to Kodanad within a month. But as he couldn’t be tamed and continued his violent activities he continued to be in isolation.
Forest Minister had named Chullikomban as Siva. Rs 10 lakh was spent to take care of him for 8 months.
At Muthanga he is kept in a special cage. He will be trained with other elephants and turned to a kumki, said Sravan Kumar.
