Forest department releases makhna elephant at ATR in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Nearly 24 hours after it was captured from a plantain field near Perur, the 40-year-old makhna elephant (a male without tusks) was released at Manthirimattam inside Manambolly reserve forest in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) around 7.30pm on Friday.
But the animal had a harrowing experience till it was released. The sedated elephant was kept standing in the customized truck without food.
After being captured, the elephant was taken to Velliankadu near Karamadai around 2.30am on Friday. It was decided to release the wild elephant at Ezhuthukkalpudur in the Coimbatore forest division.
However, more than 100 farmers from the locality learned about the elephant being released in the forest near their locality. They blocked the road protesting the forest department’s plan to release the elephant near their locality. They alleged that the elephant could raid their crops.
The forest department officials held talks with the farmers but in vain. Later, the forest department officials decided to station the truck on the forest department’s office premises in Mettupalayam.
The truck reached Mettupalayam around 4.30am, where the veterinary officials topped up the sedative for the elephant.
Around 9.30am, the truck moved towards Valparai from Mettupalayam. The forest department officials decided to release the elephant at a deep reserve forest area at Manthirimattam.
The truck reached Manthirimattam around 6pm on Friday. A team led by forest veterinary officer A Sukumar gave doses to the elephant to revive it. The elephant was given painkillers and antibiotics as well.
“The makhna elephant is healthy and it was released into the deep reserve forest around 7.30pm on Friday. The elephant drank water in a check dam and walked for a while. A team of forest veterinary officers and a 12-member team comprising SPWs and AWS are closely monitoring the animal. We are also watching the movement of the animal with the help of a GPS-enabled radio collar,” deputy director of ATR K Bhargava Teja said.