Coimbatore: The forest department on Tuesday brought kumki elephants (trained) John,
27,
and Cheran,
32, from Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Nilgiris to the Chadivayal Elephant Camp here to prevent man-animal conflict.
A few days ago, the department had shifted kumki Pari, 35, from the Chadivayal Elephant Camp to the Varakaliyar Elephant Camp in Topslip. Pari had saved people and crops from wild elephant since 2012. Another kumki Sujai, 47, was sent to the Theppakkadu camp.
Two mahouts and two kaavadi (mahout’s assistants) have also arrived with the kumki elephants.
“The two kumki elephant were involved in operations at Bitherkad range in the Gudalur Forest Division a few days ago. They chased away a wild elephant that came out of the forest and destroyed crops. They will now be used in the Coimbatore Forest Division,” conservator of forests S Ramasubramanian said.
