Twist in the tale: Chinnathambi befriends kumkis

Forest Department officials said the two kumkis, Kalim and Mariyappan from Kozhikamuthi camp in Anamalai Tiger Reserve, were stationed at a sugarcane farm near Udumalpet to guide back Chinnathambi whenever it strays into human habitations.

However, in a twist, Chinnathambi has seemingly found a good company with Kalim and Mariyappan.

“Over the last two days, Chinnathambi has bonded well with the two kumkis. He plays with them in a joyful mood. This is a rare trait as a wild elephant doesn’t bond easily with tuskers raised in captivity,” said a senior official.

The official downplayed the threat posed by Chinnathambi, stating that the latter is harmless. “He doesn’t disturb anyone as enough fodder is available in its place of stay.”

Meanwhile, yielding to pressure from the civil society, the Forest Department seems to have dropped its plan to capture the animal and trained it to be a kumki.

Chinnathambi was translocated to Top Slip on January 25. The translocation of Chinnathambi came a month after its pair jumbo Vinayagan was captured on December 18 and shifted to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).

Both Vinayagan and Chinnathambi were raiding crops and damaging properties in Thadagam, Kanuvai, Pannimadai and Varapalayam areas over the past few years. While Vinayagan has adapted to its new habitat in MTR, Chinnathambi traversed over 100 km to reach Pollachi and then proceeded to Udumalpet.

In a relative development, the ‘Save Chinnathambi’ campaign gained further momentum with animal activists petitioning the district administration against the proposal to capture the animal. They urged the authorities to leave the pachyderm in its own habitat.