Arikomban 'back in action', raids ration shop in Tamil Nadu

Idukki: Triggering panic in villages close to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the translocated wild jumbo Arikomban attacked a ration shop at Manalar estate in Tamil Nadu on Sunday night.

According to reports, the tusker vandalised the window of a ration shop but left without taking rice. 

Reports said Arikomban has retreated to the forest after raiding the ration shop. The elephant has been roaming in the Meghamalai area of Tamil Nadu's Theni district days after its relocation from Idukki's Chinnakanal to the Periyar tiger reserve. Tamil Nadu forest department is closely monitoring the elephant's movements.

The rice-loving wild elephant has so far traversed over 40 kilometres from the site in the Periyar Reserve where it was released late last month after its capture by the forest department near human settlements in Chinnakanal.

Wildlife experts doubt whether the elephant, which has travelled over eight kilometres from the Kerala border to Tamil Nadu side, would return to the Periyar Reserve.

Though it returned to the Kerala forest region a couple of times after straying into Meghamalai, for the past few days the jumbo has been staying put at the same location dotted with houses and tea plantations. However, Kerala Forest Department officials ruled out Arikomban's return to Chinnakanal.

The forest department captured Arikomban from Chinnakanal and translocated the animal to Periyar tiger reserve on April 29 following a High Court order. A radio collar was attached to the tusker to track its movements.