A wild tusker named Arikomban has been wreaking havoc in the residential areas of Chinnakanal, Idukki. Despite a court order to capture the rogue elephant, it is unlikely to happen this week due to public holidays. The mission is expected to resume after Easter holidays on Monday, according to sources.
The Kerala High Court has recently agreed to shift Arikomban from the densely populated regions of Periyakanal – Sinkukandam region of Munnar to Parambikulam, based on the expert committee’s recommendation. However, the forest department lacks a modern radio collar system, which is necessary to track Arikomban’s movements. The radio collar can be delivered from Assam, but it will take a few days to arrive.
The court’s order was to capture Arikomban and attach a radio collar to him, but it may take a few more days to accomplish the task. The Kerala High Court was reconsidering the case filed by animal lovers’ associations against tranquilizing and capturing the rogue rice-eating tusker. As per a forest official, ‘Arikomban is smart and knows the ways of the forest, making it difficult for us to capture him without any collateral damage.’
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