The Tamil Nadu Forest Department has provided a fresh update on translocated wild tusker Arikomban that now roams the Kalakkad Mudunthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR).

In a tweet, TN Forest department's additional chief secretary, Supriya Sahu said: "He was found fit and fine. The Radio Collar is working fine and signals are being received continuously."

A special team of the TN forest department led by its field director had monitored the tusker's movements in the upper Kodyar region of KMTR.

The animal was "taking a mud bath at the time of monitoring", said Sahu.

The IAS officer has shared a photograph and a short video of the tusker claimed to be taken on July 15.

Arikomban's capture from Chinnakanal on April 29 caught national attention. The tusker had terrorised the region with frequent raids to settlements. It had also killed humans.

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The tusker's penchant for rice got it the name, Arikomban, which is a portmanteau of two Malayalam words, ari (rice) and komban (tusker).

Initially, the Kerala Forest Department translocated Arikomban to the Periyar Tiger Sanctuary but it found its way to settlements in Tamil Nadu's Cumbum.

Later, the TN government launched a second translocation mission and shifted Arikomban to KMTR on June 5.

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