Captured makhna released into ATR

COIMBATORE: A crop-raiding ‘makhna’ elephant, which was captured in Palacode in Dharmapuri district, was released into the forest area in Varagaliyar near Top Slip in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Monday.

The elephant, which got down from the truck through a mud ramp, was visibly exhausted due to its long and tiresome journey from Dharmapuri. It then slowly walked into the forest area.

It was with the help of kumki Chinnathambi, the makhna elephant was captured, after tranquilising it on Sunday as it was habituated to raid crops in Eachampallam and neighbouring villages in Dharmapuri over the last three months.

Officials said that a special team has been deployed to monitor the movement of the elephant and study its behavior pattern. It would be tracked to examine the elephant’s foraging habits in a new habitat. Significantly, this was the first operation for kumki ‘Chinnathambi.’

Meanwhile, efforts were made to capture a leopard, which triggered a scare in Irukkur village by preying on a dog in Paramathi Velur in Namakkal. Around 40-member team of the Forest department has been camping in the village and surveillance cameras were fixed in multiple locations to monitor the movement of the big cat.

Also, a cage with a goat as live bait has been kept to lure the leopard. The Forest department has also advised villagers not to venture alone into the farm fields at night to avoid any conflict.