COIMBATORE: One more captive elephant from Theppakkadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) reached the newly inaugurated elephant camp at Chadivayal in Boluvampatti in the district.
The male elephant John, along with its mahout and kavadi, reached Boluvampatti a few days ago in a forest department truck after the veterinarian of Theppakkadu certified that the animal was fit to travel and healthy. This addition has added a feather to the Tamil Nadu forest department's cap for its efforts in handling captive elephants at the Siruvani foothills and mitigating human-animal conflict in the district.
The 35-year-old elephant has joined another male elephant, Muthu and a female elephant, Cauvery (17), both of which were nurtured at Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in Ulanthy forest range of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) and were brought to Chadivayal elephant camp on February 26.
John was abandoned by its mother and was rescued by forest staff and tended to at Theppakkadu when it was only less than six months old in 1991. In 2018, John had been in the Chadivayal camp along with another captive elephant, Cheran, to chase away wild elephants in the forest fringes of the Coimbatore forest division.
"While Muthu and Cauvery have become accustomed to the campsite, obeys the mahout and is active, John is expected to adapt to the surroundings of Chadivayal. We will be engaging these captive elephants to drive away wild elephants that enter human habitations and farmlands in Coimbatore, if needed. If all goes well, we may bring a few more female elephants from the MR Palayam Centre in Tiruchy to the Chadivayal elephant camp a week later," a forest department staff said.
The official added that discussions are under way to fix an entry ticket for tourists to allow them inside the Chadivayal elephant camp to watch elephants being fed.