Wild tusker Arikomban has entered Cumbum in Theni district, and was seen roaming through the town on Saturday morning, after being spotted near a human habitation in Kumily, Idukki on Friday.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is making arrangements to capture the tusker from Cumbum and release it into forest areas. The operation will begin on Saturday afternoon, officials of the department said.
Arikomban has been making the rounds along the Kerala -Tamil Nadu border since April 30, when it was released into the Periyar Tiger Reserve. A few days later, the tusker was seen in Megamalai and mock-charged at a bus in Chinnamanur. After having camped at Megamalai for over a week, the tusker returned to the Kerala border on May 22. It is said to have moved into the Tamil Nadu forests on Friday.
“The kumkis and elephant vehicles are on the way to where the tusker is now,” Srinivas R. Reddy, Chief Wildlife Warden, said, speaking to The Hindu on Saturday. “We will start the operation in the afternoon and release Arikomban inside the forest. After moving past houses on the streets of Cumbum, the tusker is said to have reached a tamarind grove. At the moment it is resting there undisturbed,” he said.
Police personnel are also involved in assisting the Forest Department in its efforts to move Arikomban out of the residential areas of Cumbam.
