Chasing Arikomban: Why is Kerala looking for a rogue wild elephant since 2018

Mangalore Today News Network

Idukki, April 28, 2023: Four kumki elephants, special night high court hearing and 150 officials but Arikomban, a wild elephant, still remains at large. Kumki elephants are captive-trained and used in missions to capture wild elephants.

 

The team to capture and tranquilise Arikomban has been on the ground since 6.20 am Friday. The exercise which was expected to be over in a few hours is now expected to extend till Saturday. As per reports, the government has been trying to trace, capture and relocate the wild tusker since 2018.

As part of the elephant-capturing exercise, the forest department, in association with the Idukki district administration, conducted a mock drill on Thursday.

The decision to relocate and radio-collar Arikomban was taken during a special night hearing by the Kerala High Court in March this year. Arikomban has been terrorising Chinnakanal and Shanthanpara, a hilly area of Kerala’s Idukki district, since 2018.

What happened in court?

During the hearing, the high court rejected a plea to keep the animal in captivity at Kodanadu elephant camp and asked the forest officials to keep vigil. The court asked the forest department officials to track the elephant, tranquilise it and then tie a radio collar around its neck to track its movement, instead of capturing it.

The court has also asked the district collector of Idukki to personally ensure the seamless translocation of the tusker.

The HC said, "No celebrations or beating of drums or bursting of crackers shall be allowed anywhere near the animal after its capture or during its transport."

The court also noted that reloacting the elephant, which was almost always found near human settlements, was not the solution but the need of the hour was to find a permanent solution. The court also questioned why human settlements were allowed in elephant habitats in the first place.

What was Arikomban’s fault?

The elephant was named Arikomban because of its habit of raiding rice shops. Ari means rice and Komban means tusker. The rice-eating elephant had been troubling high-range villages in Kerala’s Idukki district for the last five years.

It was seen roaming around in residential areas of Idukki and regularly attacking ration shops and houses in search of rice.

The plan

The task force to capture Arikomban will be led by Dr Arun Zachairah, an expert in tranquillisation. Forest watchers, officials, police, doctors, veterinary doctors, Fire Force personnel and Rapid Response Team members are among the task force led by chief veterinary surgeon Dr Arun Zachariah.

The forest department has planned to capture the elephant by tranquillising it with the help of four Kumki elephants - Kunju, Konni Surendran, Suryan, and Vikram. This will be the forest department’s first mission with the four Kumki elephants.

After tranquilising the elephant, the forest department will put the radio collar on Arikomban and relocate it. The Kerala forest department has purchased the satellite radio collar from Assam government for Rs 5 lakh. The battery in the collar lasts for 10 years.

The Kerala government also made a detailed plan, including setting up a dummy ration shop with groceries and rice inside it to attract the jumbo to tranquilise it.

Where will Arikomban go?

The court’s decision to relocate Arikomban to Parambikulam Tiger Reserve drew protest from villagers living in Parambikulam. Parambikulam has already been facing elephant menace.

The government has now considered various places as the next turf of Arikomban, including Periyar Tiger Reserve in Idukki or Agasthyarkoodam. The forest department has refused to disclose the spot as the court has given direction to maintain secrecy on the matter.

What do you think? Will the Kerala government be successful in capturing and relocating Arikomban this time?

Courtesy: India Today