Tusker Makhna eludes officials for sixth consecutive day

COIMBATORE: The efforts to capture Pandalur Makna (PM2) continued for the sixth day on Saturday without yielding any results. Officials of the Gudalur  Forest division fixed camera traps to monitor the animal's movement at Kattimattam on Friday.

Though the forest officials managed to spot the animal frequently, even on Friday evening, they were unable to tranquilise it as the animal continue to roam with a herd which have another Makhna and a tusker at the Tamil Nadu Kerala border. The herd was roaming within the small patches of a slope where there is a river and grass is available for more than four days and this place is not suitable for administering injection as part of capturing the animal, said sources.

Meanwhile, on Friday evening, the officials fixed camera traps to monitor the movement of the animal in the surrounding Accord estate at Kattimattam, where it was last found. "The animal has the habit of damaging the wall of the houses in the surroundings of Pandalur and eating rice. So, we fixed a few rice bags near the camera trap. However, the animal did not eat rice and the movement was not recorded.  More than 50 members are monitoring the anima and we are more cautious while monitoring the animal inside the forest as our staff, Kaalan's left leg was fractured when he was chased by another wild elephant," said an official.

The official further said that they have formed three teams and deputed veterinarians as part of administering an injection to the animal by identifying the three pathways in which the animal expected to come out. "We will tranquilise the animal at any time and transport it in a specially designed lorry with the help of Kumki elephants," he added.