COIMBATORE: A day after sedating the tusker, nicknamed Bullet aka Kottamalai Baskar, it was lodged at a kraal at Varagaliyar in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) by Saturday afternoon.
Sources said after releasing the elephant inside Varagaliyar forest on Saturday morning, it was lodged in a kraal by 2 pm with the help of kumki elephants. This was done as per the instructions of Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW).
“The animal was soft-released. In this process, three to four kumkis will be stationed nearby, and the veterinarians will monitor the animal by watching his behaviour at a close distance. This method has less human interference. It will be shifted inside the reserve forest after its stress and agressive nature reduce. He might have to be in the kraal for just over a week,” said an official of ATR.
The condition of the animal will be known in the next few days as it is slowly recovering from the sedation and is trying to adapt the new atmosphere. It quenched its thirst and consumed green fodder that was taken from the forest and kept inside the kraal. “The animal is slowly recovering from sedation, but not yet fully recovered,” the official pointed out.
The elephant which was frequently damaging crops and houses was captured at Ayyankolly on Friday evening 5pm by a team of 50 forest staff headed by Gudalur DFO N Venkatesh Prabhu and transported in a lorry to Varagaliyar in ATR.