Evasive jumbos finally captured near Tirupattur

TIRUPATTUR: After six days of operations, the joint team of officials from various departments managed to gain success on Thursday by tranquillizing and capturing the two wild elephants, which were triggering panic in Tirupattur district.

However, both the animals after receiving the dart quickly moved into a nearby bush before being captured.

Two veterinarians, who were drafted by the district administration darted the pachyderms with tranquillizers at Thippasamudram, 8 km from Tirupattur town, where the pachyderms had moved from the irrigation tank near the town.

After this, the mission of pulling them out of the bush has been taken over by three Kumkis that were brought from two tiger reserves, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), Collector Baskara Pandian said.

Detailing the whole operation, he said “Two of the Kumkis, Udayan, and MTR in The Nilgiris while the other Kumki Chinnathambi was brought from the ATR in Coimbatore.

On Thursday morning, the wild elephants left the irrigation tank and moved to Pudurnadu hills. Even while officials were under the impression that animals would be captured at Pudurnadu hills, both the jumbos moved from there to Thippasamudram, which is where they were tranquillized and finally captured.

“Forest officials have kept ready two lorries to transport the two animals once they are captured to deep forests,” sources said.

Collector Baskara Pandian said, “Both elephants would be moved out of the district to a forest area where the animals can be monitored for some time after their release.”

The Thursday developments have given some sort of relief to residents of various villages and Tirupattur town. For the past six days, the wild elephants have been meandering through various areas of the district.

Officials don’t want to keep the animals penned in the town as locals might be curious to touch or feel them creating unnecessary problems.