Injured tusker captured in Dharmapuri released into MTR, under watch

COIMBATORE: An injured tusker, which was captured by forest officials in Dharmapuri, was released deep into the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Thursday.  Officials said that the 15-year-old animal was released in Asuvaramattam and the nearest village is almost 12 kilometers away. The tusker was captured following intense pressure from residents of Neruppur. They alleged that the elephant trampled two persons, destroyed heir crops, and chased vehicles.

Speaking to TNIE, Deputy Director of MTR  (Buffer Zone), LCS Srikanth said that forest department officials in Dharmapuri were consulted about the behavior of the elephant prior to its release. 

He further said that the elephant had been entering fields and raiding crops as it had sustained an injury on its mouth, possibly due to biting into a country-made explosive.

"The elephant is quite obedient and is a small tusker. We hope that by releasing him in a remote part of the tiger reserve, we can discourage him from trying to enter human habitations," he added. 

Talking about monitoring the tusker, a forest official said, "The elephant seems to be docile and we have formed a team to monitor his movement. Also, recently, we created a pond with 50,000 liters capacity near Asuvaramattam for animals inside the forest to quench their thirst. We would also be nursing his injuries regularly.”

'Mixed results'

According to officials, translocation of elephants into MTR yielded mixed results in recent years. “A tusker, Vinayagan from Coimbatore, continues to survive in the forest region, but another elephant captured in Hosur and released into the reserve was again captured by the Karnataka forest department as it began raiding crops inside the forest.”

"Last year, another elephant which was released in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve died shortly due to suffering from a fatal fall when it crossed over into Mudumalai," they added.