COIMBATORE: Officials of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) arrested a 43-year-old tribal man on charges of disturbing a wild elephant by approaching it near Aliyar on Friday.
The incident came to light after a video recorded by tourists, showing the man threatening the elephant while it was grazing along the Pollachi-Valparai road on August 2, was widely circulated on social media.
The elephant gave a warning signal to the man. However, despite repeated requests from locals, tourists and forest staff to stay away, the man continued approaching the animal and attempted to chase it away on his own.
Based on the instructions of ATR Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director D Venkatesh, forest officials registered a case against the man under Section 2(16) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
During the investigation, forest officials found that the man had prior experience in driving away individual elephants that frequently enter areas close to Chinnarpathi tribal settlement.
"Along with the video footage and our investigation, we found that the suspect K Mayavan, a daily wage labourer, was residing in Chinnarpathi tribal settlement. We advised him about the consequences of negative human-elephant interactions.
He was lucky to have survived the incident. We have also issued a strict warning of action against those who disturb wild animals, as only trained forest staff are capable of safely diverting elephants back into the forest," said Pollachi Forest Range Officer F Abdulla.
Mayavan was produced before the Pollachi Judicial Magistrate Court and remanded in Coimbatore Central Prison.