In a tragic turn of events, a 25-year-old tusker which was captured in Kerala and was being shifted to Bandipur in Karnataka was found dead on arrival in the early hours of Saturday.
The elephant nicknamed “Thanner Komban” was originally captured in an operation in Belur forest range of Hassan district on January 16, 2024, in a bid to reduce conflict in the region. After tranquilisation and radio-collaring, the elephant was released in the wild in the Moolehole range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve which is a tri-junction and abuts Wayanad in Kerala and Mudumali in Tamil Nadu.
“The free-ranging elephant moved towards the Wayanad side in Kerala and entered the Taluk office compound of Manandavadi town following which a decision was taken by the Forest Departments of both the States to tranquilise and relocate it to Bandipur from where it had come,” said Dr. Ramesh Kumar, director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
