'Onnarakomban' holds up traffic at Marayoor

Marayoor: There is no end to the miseries of wild animals and the trouble posed by them in human habitations in areas fringing the forested parts of Kerala.

A wild elephant held up traffic on the Marayoor–Chinnar road close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu inter-state road the other day. Locals identified it as ‘Onnarakomban’ — the tusker with one broken tusk — that has been frequently spotted in the area.

It was spotted at Jellimala on Friday morning around 6.30. The elephant stayed put right in front of a KSRTC bus for about 20 minutes. The bus was heading from Thiruvananthapuram to Pazhani in Tamil Nadu.

The vehicular movement on the road could be resumed only after the tusker left the spot and went up the hill nearby.

The Wild Life authorities are monitoring the animal of late as it strays to the road going through the Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary at night. Night patrolling would also be carried out to prevent traffic blocks when the tusker is on the road, said Chinnar Assistant Wild Life Warden Nidhinlal.