With the wild tusker Arikompan remaining elusive throughout Friday, the Forest department decided to halt the mission to capture the elephant for the day.
Munnar Divisional Forest Officer Ramesh Bishnoi said the operation would resume on Saturday morning. “The department has decided to continue the mission till the capture of Arikompan,” said Mr. Bishnoi.
Officials said the operation to capture the tusker began around 4.30 a.m. “The tusker was under the watch of the Forest department till 2 a.m. but went elusive afterwards. A search of over nine hours by a special team and watchers at Chinnakkanal for the elephant went in vain. As it remained elusive till 4 p.m., we decided to wind up the mission for the day,” said a forest official.
Meanwhile, the rapid response team of the department located Arikompan at Shankarapandimettu, around ten km from Chinnakkanal, at 6 p.m. Officials said musth period had started for another tusker Chakkakompan that joined the herd at Cement Palam, near Chinnakkanal, and it was suspected that it prompted Arikompan to move out of the area.
Sources in the Forest department said Sankarapandimettu was not an ideal location for darting elephants. “The department plans to lure Arikompan to the Cement Palam area for darting,” said an official.
Munnar Assistant Conservator of Forests Shantri Tom said the climate was good for the operation on Friday. “The four kumki elephants were brought to Cement Palam on Friday. If the weather is better, the department hopes to complete the operation within two days,” he said.
Mr. Bishnoi said Section 144 would be imposed at Chinnakkanal panchayat and wards I, II, and III of Santhanpara panchayat from 4 a.m. on Saturday until the capture and translocation of the tusker.
The darting team led by Chief Forest Veterinary Surgeon Arun Zachariah was camping at Chinnakkanal.
Chinnakkanal panchayat president Sini Baby said people were hopeful of the Forest department capturing the tusker at the earliest. Santhanpara panchayat president Liju Varghese said people at Santhanpara and Chinnakkanal eagerly awaited the capture of Arikompan.
