COIMBATORE: It seems as if everything is going against the officials in charge of capturing the wild elephant, who is accused of claiming four lives. First rains and now one Kumki elephant, who had to be replaced, as it was in musth.
After submitting pleas for months, the villagers got relief when the officials got the nod to capture the jumbo. However, rains intervened and the tusker travelled to the Gopalsamy hillock, a few kilometres away from Arthanaripalayam near Pollachi, on Monday night.
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Additional Principal Conservator of Forests Coimbatore Circle and Field Director (in-charge) of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) Debasis Jana said that usually, the elephant comes out of the forest during the night. Our team was waiting to tranquillise it on Monday night but heavy rains obstructed our work. Even on Tuesday morning, it was raining.
"We have been continuously monitoring the pachyderm and would not allow any more loss of human lives. Now, we are making plans to tranquillise it during the daytime," he said.
Meanwhile, one of the kumki elephants, Paari became aggressive on Tuesday morning.
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After controlling it, the mahout informed the Forest Department that Paari was in musth. As a result, the senior officials decided to replace it. Kumki elephant Rajavarthan would now assist Kaleem in the operation.
Calf with birth defect dies of weakness
The seven-month-old calf elephant with a birth defect on his hind legs died at field number VIII at Anamudi Estate in Valparai on Tuesday morning. The animal was moving inside the tea fields along with his mother, who used to feed it. However, over a week ago, the mother abandoned it.
Out of food, the calf died of weakness on Tuesday.
Deputy Director of ATR and DFO of Pollachi forest division AS Marimuthu said that though they provided medicine-laced jackfruit to improve his health, it did not work. After postmortem examination, the animal was buried at the same place, the official informed.