Kumki elephants to help capture injured tusker

Coimbatore: The forest department brought kumki elephant Suyambu to Mettupalayam forest range from the Chadivayal elephant camp on Sunday and is planning to bring kumki Venkatesh on Monday to capture an injured tusker roaming in the area.
The elephant, which has an injury on its left foreleg, had consumed medicine-laced jackfruits placed by forest department officials. Now, the department has decided to tranquilise the animal for treatment.
Though Suyambu was deployed on Sunday to capture it, the tusker managed to escape. Venkatesh will be brought to the spot on Monday for the drive. “We will tranquilise the animal and start treatment on Monday,” district forest officer D Venkatesh said. “A team of frontline staff is working round-the-clock to monitor and feed the animal medicines.”
The nature of injury could be ascertained only after the animal is tranquilised, the official said.