The Forest department will submit a detailed report on capturing Arikompan, a wild tusker in Idukki, before the Kerala High Court. A senior official told The Hindu that the department arrived at the decision to capture Arikompan as the tusker posed a threat to human life in Chinnakanal and Santhanpara panchayats in Idukki.
“Three wild elephants — Arikompan, Chakkakompan, and Murivalankompan — have been creating problems for people in the region. But Arikompan is in the habit of attacking homes and shops at midnight, giving sleepless nights to people,” said the official. “Arikompan is unpredictable. We cannot prevent it from raiding houses and shops. We will submit a detailed report before the High Court,” added the official.
“Within two months, the tusker destroyed nearly sixty houses and shops. The tusker attacked a ration shop at Panniyar under Santhanpara panchayat more than ten times in the past one and a half years. The expert team also recommends capturing the tusker immediately to prevent human-elephant conflict,” said the official.
Chief Wildlife Warden Ganga Singh issued an order on February 21 to tranquillize Arikompan at Chinnakanal. The order said the elephant could be captured and radio-collared or relocated. “The order recommends relocating the animal inside deep forest inside High Range Circle. Only Periyar Tiger Reserve has a suitable deep forest area for releasing the tusker. However, there are Tribal settlements inside PTR nearly 10 km from the forest area and there are chances that the tusker will stray into these settlements,” said the official.
M.N. Jayachandran, district secretary of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said the Forest department also agreed that the human-elephant conflict started in Chinnakanal after settlements were established in 301 Colony in 2002-2003 period. “Before capturing tuskers, including Arikompan, the government should restore the elephant habitat in the region,” Mr. Jayachandran said.
Meanwhile, the chief veterinary surgeon Arun Zachariah led the special team from Wayanad to Munnar on Saturday. Two more Kumki (trained elephants), Surendran and Kunju, arrived at Chinnakkanal on Saturday. Two other Kumki elephants, Surya and Vikram, are already halting in Chinnakanal.
Dr. Zahariah said that a trial run to dart Arikompan would be conducted soon as the High Court verdict did not ban the trial run. The court on Thursday issued a stay on the operation to capture tusker Arikompan. However, the High Court posted the case for further hearing on March 29.
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