Forest department officials suspend efforts to radio-collar jumbo Baahubali

Coimbatore

Continuous tracking by the staff has forced Baahubali into a state of restlessness. “Hence, the elephant looks extremely stressed and is in need of rest for a few days. In the last two days, the elephant has lost its routine and hadn’t even consumed adequate food and water due to our operation. Therefore, we have planned to stop the operations temporarily,” said an official of the Forest Department. “Once, the animal came to a suitable terrain behind an entertainment park near Mettupalayam. Then, a sedative dart fired by a veterinarian missed its target. And the elephant panicked and retreated into the forest cover,” said the official. After a long search, Baahubali was again spotted atop a hill, but this time with members of a new herd. So, it couldn’t be tranquilised. The officials decided to withdraw the operation after waiting till evening