Wild tusker ‘Arikomban’ healthy, says Tamil Nadu forest minister

Tamil Nadu forest minister Dr M Mathiventhan, who is a medical doctor, said the wild elephant, 'Arikomban’ was healthy and had adapted well to the area. The elephant was relocated to the forest in Tirunelveli.

He also said Arikomban's wounds had healed and that it was eating grass and drinking water as both grass and water were in abundance in the forest area.

The minister while speaking to media said the elephants do not belong to either Kerala or Tamil Nadu and that there was no demarcation of forest land as far as wild animals were concerned.

He said when the elephant was in Kerala forest range it was called 'Arikomban' and in Tamil Nadu forest area it was named 'Arasikomban'.

'Arikomban', which had created havoc in Chinnakanal forest area of Idukki district in Kerala, was tranquilised and captured and then relocated to Periyar Tiger Reserve at a distance of 80 km from Chinnakanal on April 29. The elephant was radio-collared.

The elephant ventured into the neighbouring Tamil Nadu and entered the Cumbum town in Theni district. A person - Palraj - fell down from his two-wheeler, suffered serious head injuries and later passed away in a hospital. This led to the Tamil Nadu government deputing a team of forest officials to capture the elephant and on June 4th it was captured and then relocated to Tirunelveli forest range.

The elephant had a deep wound on its trunk and the veterinarians, who were in the team of the Tamil Nadu forest department that captured it from Cumbum, had applied medication.

(With IANS inputs)