With Arikompan roaming mostly near Kumily, speculation is rife about the wild tusker looking for a way back to Chinnakkanal, its original habitat. According to Forest department sources, the connected forests and the present path of Arikompan indicate that the tusker is on his way back.
According to Forest department officials, Arikompan reached within 100 metres of a human habitation at Rosapookandam, near Kumily town, around 11 p.m. on Thursday. Noticing the presence of the tusker through the satellite radio collar signals, a team led by Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) field director P.P. Pramod and PTR East deputy director Patil Suyog Subah Rao reached the spot and chased the tusker back to the forest. The elephant then moved to the Tamil Nadu forest area.
“The tusker crossed National Highway 183 and is now roaming in the Tamil Nadu forest area, around 8 kilometres from Kumily. We cannot predict Arikompan’s movement,” said Mr. Pramod, adding that Kerala and Tamil Nadu forest officials were closely monitoring the tusker’s movements.
