COIMBATORE: Additional chief secretary, environment, climate change and forests Supriya Sahu along with the Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas Reddy visited Chadivayal on Monday to check arrangements to shift nine captive elephants from the elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre (ERRC) at MR Palayam in Tiruchy,
The nine elephants, which include four temple elephants and five recused from private owners, would be released into their natural habitat in the foothills of the western ghats. Sahu said although rewilding of wild animals is a challenging task, the forest department is doing its best for the welfare of the animals and the place was selected as there is plenty of water and the environment is fine for the elephants.
She also said that facilities will also be created to provide treatment to the animals whenever required.
Reddy said they will install solar fences and Elephant Proof Trench around the Chadivayal elephant camp to prevent wild elephant intrusion since the place has a good number of wild elephant movements. Earlier, Supriya dedicated an office building for ‘Project Nilgiri Tahr’ which is aimed to increase its population in the state.