BHUBANESWAR: If everything goes as per plan, a 30-year-old elephant named 'Ramu' could be the first jumbo in conflict to be radio collared in the State. Officials of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and Nandankanan Zoo are camping in Khurda to dart Ramu.
Sources said that the team tried to tranquilise the jumbo in the forests of Khurda on Sunday but were unsuccessful. "Another attempt will be made by the team on Monday to dart the elephant for its radio collaring," said an official from the Forest department.
The official said that the male elephant which could not be radio collared in Bharatpur Reserve Forest (RF) in September this year, has now moved from Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary to Khurda Forest Division.
Separated from its herd, Ramu had strayed into Pipili and other parts of Khurda division and reportedly claimed lives.The Forest department considers the jumbo ideal for fitting a collar.
The move will facilitate tracking of its movement and help in improving wildlife management practices to reduce conflicts. Two more elephants in Chandaka have been identified for radio collaring in the next phase.