IDUKKI: He was caught who for humans was a "rogue" elephant.
A Rapid Response Team of the Kerala forest department captured Arikomban, the wild elephant, who strayed into human habitations in search of food and caused sleepless nights for the local people, at Chinnakanal in Idukki district by 5 pm on Saturday.
On Saturday, the Rapid Response Team led by Chief veterinary officer Dr Arun Zachariah comprising 150 members drawn from various departments including forest, KSEB, revenue, health and the police joined hands to tranquilise and capture the tusker.
It took the team 12 long hours to corner and tranquilize Arikomban with the assistance of kumki or tamed elephants. Once the mission ended, the tusker was shifted to Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady to be later released into the wild.
The operation was a failure on the first day as the tusker remained elusive till Friday evening. There was a breakthrough at 11.55 am on Saturday when the tusker came close to a location near Cement Palam where the situations were favourable for Dr Arun Zachariah to dart the tusker.
On locating Arikomban at Sinkukandam by around 6.30 am, the team surrounded the elephant at 11 am. However, separating Arikomban from his companion Chakkakomban, who was found accompanying the tusker, was a major challenge. They succeeded in taking him out of the protective circle created by Chakkakomban by bursting crackers.
Upon getting Arikomban at a convenient place near Cement Palam, the first tranquilising shot was given to the tusker at 11.55 am. By 2.30 pm, the tusker was given as many as 3 tranquilising shots.
Here, the forest officials recalled that the jumbo had tricked the forest officials in 2017 as it ran into the forest after getting 5 tranquilizer shots.
This time also he remained aggressive till 3 pm and even tried to attack the officials who surrounded him to tie ropes.
However, at 3 pm the team approached the sedated tusker with the help of four kumki elephants. They tied its legs with ropes allowing only limited movement. However, the inclement weather made the operation difficult. Later with the support of earthmovers, a temporary path was made to bring the truck to the spot.
Even as Arikomaban remained aggressive for nearly half an hour, the mahouts made the four trained kumkis push him into the truck by around 5 pm. The process of loading the tusker into the truck and transporting it to the Periyar Tiger Reserve was completed by late evening. A GPS radio collar was tied around his neck before he was transported to Kumily via Pooppara at 6 pm.
The well-built and well-shaped pachyderm was aged above 35 years. "It was stronger than the kumki elephants and was the leader bull among other elephants roaming in the area," a senior official with the forest department.
As the two-month-long wait drew to a close the residents of Chinnakanal and Santhanpara panchayats heaved a sigh of relief. Even then, there were many who were in tears as the elephant who has been part of their lives for the past three decades bid adieu to his favourite haunt.
The Tale
Arikomban's is a contemporary tale of how a wild elephant became a "rogue" elephant for humans.
Anayirangal forest is Arikomban's habitat. His mother died when he was a calf. He used to roam around the Anayirangal and stray into the villages in search of food. Over the years he started straying into villages in search of rice and started demolishing ration shops and houses which earned him the sobriquet Arikomban.
Increasing conflicts with humans in his hunt for food and survival forced the residents later to demand the translocation of the tusker from Chinnakkanal.