TN Forest Department to radio-collar tusker using kumki elephants

Chennai, Dec 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Tamil Nadu forest department officials are planning to radio-collar and relocate an elephant that has destroyed crops extensively in the Jerahalli Forest Range of Talavadi hills in Tamil Nadu's Erode district.

The Talavadi area farmers have been complaining to the forest department about the presence of the tusker, nicknamed, Karuppannan, and the damage it has been creating extensively. The farmers have also told that this elephant killed five people last year. However, sources in the forest department told IANS that it could not be ascertained as of now.

Talavadi area farmers regularly complained that the elephant comes into human habitations and destroy maize, sugarcane, ragi, and other crops.

The forest department officials have deployed two kumki elephants (elephants trained for use in operations to trap wild elephants, for the purpose of rescue or medical treatment). to capture the elephant, radio collar it, and later relocate it to the deep forests. One of the two kumki elephants, Kapil Dev has already reached the Talavadi hill area and is waiting for the other kumki elephant to commence the operation.

Forest department officials told IANS that in a week's time, the kumki elephants would capture Karuppanan and radio collar it. According to the officials, a wild elephant cannot be chased continuously and requires step-by-step actions.

Before radio-collaring, the elephant has to be tracked and its health has to be monitored and then, track its movement, tranquilse the elephant, radio-collar it and then transport it before relocating it in the deep forests.

Radio collaring is a process wherein the movements of the elephant could be understood including preventing the elephant from entering human settlements.

Source: IANS