COIMBATORE: Wild elephant ‘Radhakrishnan’, captured in Gudalur a month ago after it was involved in frequent negative interactions with human beings, was released in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) in Tirunelveli on Sunday.
The elephant was caught in ‘O’ Valley on September 23 and lodged in a ‘kraal’ at Abhayaranyam elephant camp in Mudumalai.
Officials believe that restraining the animal for a few weeks may bring about a change in its crop raiding habits and dissuade the animal from intruding into human habitations, once it is released into the forest area.
The elephant was loaded into a truck on Friday night and shifted to KMTR on Sunday, where it was released in the dense forest area in Kothayar.
The elephant has been fitted with a radio collar and is being monitored by the forest department.