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HomeNationArikomban, rice-loving wild elephant, tranquilised in Tamil Nadu. Meet the jumbo

Arikomban, rice-loving wild elephant, tranquilised in Tamil Nadu. Meet the jumbo


A rogue wild tusker, ‘Arikomban’, was safely tranquilised by a team of forest veterinary surgeons and forest department officials in Tamil Nadu’s Cumbum East Range on Monday. The wild elephant, known for its fondness for rice, was translocated to Periyar Tiger Reserve on April 29 at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border following a capture and relocation order by the Kerala high court.

Arikomban had strayed into Tamil Nadu from the neighbouring state of Kerala on May 27. (HT Photo)

After a 56-year-old man succumbed to his injuries sustained in an attack by Arikomban in Theni district of Tamil Nadu. Chief minister MK Stalin last week said the forest department was making every effort to capture the tusker. Stalin also announced a relief of 5 lakh to the victim’s family. Arikomban had strayed into Tamil Nadu from the neighbouring state of Kerala on May 27.

The chief minister also said the establishment of a separate control room at the Cumbum forest range office for capturing Arikomban. “Around 200 forest personnel from other regions have been deployed to ensure the safety of the local residents,” news agency ANI quoted Stalin as saying.

Why was it named ‘Arikumban’?

The 40-year-old jumbo was named ‘Arikomban’ due to its affinity for rice and that gained considerable notoriety for its regular raids on ration shops. In Malayalam, “ari” means rice and “komban” refers to a bull elephant. As a result of its persistent rice raids, two ration shops were relocated to distant locations. However, Arikomban didn’t cease its pursuit for rice and began targeting houses in Idukki, creating a wave of fear among residents.

In response to the growing concerns and panic caused by Arikomban’s intrusion into Tamil Nadu, the forest department initiated another ‘Mission Arikomban’ on May 27 with the aim of capturing the rogue elephant.

‘Special radio collar’ for Arikomban

A ‘radio collar’ is a lightweight belt (device) fixed to an elephant’s neck and it is equipped with a GPS device. The data of this device is relayed real-time on a computer or mobile app.

This real-time monitoring of data helps in early warning whenever the elephant is in the vicinity of a human settlement.

However, when it comes to tracking Arikomban deep within the forests, conventional radio collars prove ineffective. To overcome this, the forest department officials made arrangements in April for a ‘special radio collar’ to be fitted on Arikomban and it utilises ‘satellite signals’.

“The usual radio collars will not function in deep forest areas so the satellite collar provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was brought from Assam, courtesy of their forest department,” a forest official said.

The collar can transmit information directly without the help of mobile towers and this will make it easier for the forest officials to track the elephant’s travel route.

Incidents involving Arikomban

On May 27, Arikomban entered Cumbum in Theni, where it attacked a person and caused property damage. The rogue wild tusker also damaged an autorickshaw and uprooted a fence around a piece of land.

In a March affidavit to the Kerala High Court, the forest department mentioned that Arikomban killed seven people and destroyed around 50 houses but locals claimed that the actual numbers are significantly higher, and they have been contending with the presence of this rogue elephant for over five years.



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