‘SI Bharathan,’ a wild tusker caged in a makeshift kraal at the Muthanga elephant camp under the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, was shifted to an open enclosure on Thursday after an interval of 23 months.
The 28-year-old jumbo was released from the temporary kraal to an open enclosure set up for a ‘kumki’ (trained elephants) squad at the elephant camp adjacent to the sanctuary around 10 .30 a.m.
The meek and friendly behaviour of the tusker — locally called SI Bharathan — with its mahouts inspired the sanctuary officials to shift it to an open enclosure.
The tribal mahouts offered a puja before shifting the animal. When the tusker was released from the cage, it tried to escape to an adjacent forest. However, the forest officials kept the animal under control after applying a tranquilliser dart.
“Such a behavioural change is so common in wild elephants, especially while releasing an elephant from a long period of solitary confinement,” N.T. Sajan, warden, told The Hindu.
“Now the animal is tied to a tree on the premises of the elephant camp and its movements are being closely observed,” Mr. Sajan said. The Forest Department may consider the possibilities to train the elephant as part of strengthening the kumki squad in the State, Mr. Sajan added.
Radio collar
SI Bharathan was reported to be a regular crop raider and had tried to attack many forest officials and villagers in the past.
Though the forest personnel had attached a radio collar to it four years ago, the gadget got lost, apparently in a fight between elephants. The officials tried to drive it back to the forests with the help of kumki elephants after attaching a new radio collar, but in vain.
The jumbo was captured on November 21, 2016 as per the direction of Minister for Forests K. Raju. This was after it attacked a farmer at Kallur. The elephant was later shifted to the kraal.
On February 11 last, the then Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) P. Marapandyan directed the authorities to release the elephant into the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, 320 km away in Palakkad district on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. But the operation was called off after people in Parambikulam protested against it.