The operation to catch and tranquilise the wild elephant was called off for the day after a 150-member team of officials and a group of four kumki elephants, failed to locate it.

news News Friday, April 28, 2023 - 18:35
Written by  IANS

The much-hyped operation to safely tranquilise rogue elephant 'Arikomban' that began in the early hours of Friday, April 28, in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara in Idukki district of Kerala was called off for the day after a 150-member team of officials and a group of four kumki elephants, failed to locate it.

For over a month, the Kerala forest department has been trying to capture 'Arikomban' as it has been terrorising people in the hilly district of Idukki for the past five years. The name 'Arikomban' was given after it used to attack the places where rice was stocked, whether in homes or in shops. Rice in Malayalam is called 'Ari' and 'Komban' means tusker.

Read: Idukki residents protest HC order prohibiting capture of wild tusker Arikomban

According to forest officials, they had informed the Kerala High Court that after locating the elephant, it would be tranquilised and then fixed with a radio collar and would be relocated to an undisclosed location.

But despite the best efforts of the 150-member team, the elephant remained untraceable. State Forest Minister AK Saseendran said the search operation will continue.

"Don't think we can fix a timeframe that the elephant will be located and tranquilised and the radio collar be fixed according to a time schedule. The entire team deputed for this is doing a great job and their efforts will continue," said Saseendran.

The officials on Friday were accompanied by a big media contingent also and the day's operation was called off in the afternoon and will resume on Saturday.

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