Fake ration shop set up to lure and dart ‘Arikompan’

Forest officials setting up a temporary ration shop at Cement Palam near Chinnakkanal in Idukki to trap Arikompan.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Forest department is setting up a temporary ration shop to lure a wild tusker, locally called ‘Arikompan,’ so as to tranquillize it. The elephant with a distinct preference for rice has attacked many rations shops in the area in the past years, prompting a flood of complaints from local people.

A senior Forest department official told The Hindu that the ration shop would be set up near the Cement Palam in Chinnakkanal. “It is a partially damaged building and the tusker had earlier attacked the building at least thrice. The building is along Arikompan’s regular route,” said the official.

Cooking too, for gruel

“We will store rice and sugar, its favourite food, inside the shop. We will start cooking there, since rice gruel is a major attraction for the animal. It seems to associate the gruel with rice,” said the official, adding that the temporary shop was near the road. “Kumki elephants and vehicles can easily reach the area and tranquillize the animal quickly,” said the official.

“Rice is Arikompan’s favourtie food and it has attacked rations shops many times to get rice. So we hit up on this idea. Forest department watchers will monitor the situation and share updates,” said the official.

To Kodanad camp

A high-level meeting will decide the final operation of darting Arikompan. According to Forest department officials, the meeting will be held at Munnar on Tuesday. Idukki Collector Sheeba George; Devikulam subcollector Rahul Krishna Sharma; and High Range Circle Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Arun R.S. will attend the meeting. “Chief forest veterinary surgeon Arun Zachariah will join the meeting virtually. It will discuss the final plan for the darting and shifting of the tusker to the Kodanad elephant camp after the capture,” said a Forest department official.

A kumki (trained elephant), Vikram, will reach Chinnakkanal on Monday morning. The other kumkis Surya, Kunju, and Surendran, will arrive in Chinnakkanal in two days. A kraal has been completed at Kodanad elephant camp to accommodate the tusker after its planned capture.