COIMBATORE: Another captive elephant has been brought to the newly inaugurated Chadivayal elephant camp near Coimbatore.
With the arrival of Sumangala from the Mudumalai elephant camp on Monday night, the total number of elephants at the facility has risen to four.
Earlier, elephants Muthu, popularly known as Arisi Raja, and Cauvery were relocated from the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Anaimalai Tiger Reserve in February. Another elephant, John, was brought from Mudumalai earlier this month. Forest officials confirmed that these three elephants have since acclimatised well to their new surroundings.
Officials indicated that the two female elephants at the camp are unlikely to be deployed in direct operations to drive wild elephants back into forest areas. Meanwhile, Sumangala had previously suffered a serious injury, a deep cut on one of its hind legs after being attacked by its mahout during an incident last year. The elephant has since been under care and monitoring.
Situated at the foothills of the Western Ghats, the expansive Chadivayal elephant camp has the capacity to house up to 20 elephants. The facility is equipped with modern amenities, including a dedicated swimming pool for bathing, walking tracks, shaded shelters, and a kraal, a secure enclosure used for training and managing elephants, particularly in their transition into kumkis.
The camp was recently inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin as part of the Tamil Nadu government’s broader initiative to enhance its response to increasing instances of human-elephant conflict.