COIMBATORE: Chinna Thambi, once a notorious crop-raiding elephant in the Coimbatore region, is now a kumki who is on his first major assignment to chase away wild elephants from human habitats in the Kannivadi forest range in the Dindigul forest division.
A Kasilingam, range officer, Ulandy forest range in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve, said, “Chinna Thambi became a kumki after intensive training at the Varakaliyar elephant camp. In his new mission, 26-year-old tusker will help 57-year-old kumki elephant, Kaleem, in chasing away wild elephants. Chinna Thambi left for Kannivadi from the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the ATR, along with mahouts Chelladurai and Kaliappan, on Saturday.”
