COIMBATORE: Crop-raiding wild elephant Kattaiyan was captured and translocated to Kadambur hills in Erode on Monday.

The elephant nicknamed as ‘Kattaiyan’ by villagers was tranquillised by veterinarian S Sadasivam from Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) when it came to raid a farm in a village along Kadambur – Pavalakuttai Road on Sunday night. The sedated elephant was then goaded into a truck with the help of a crane and taken to be released in Talamalai in Bhavanisagar forest range in the wee hours of Monday.

The elephant has a history of crop raiding over the last one year in Sengadu, Thondur, Kadambur and surrounding areas. Farmers who were demanding the forest department for long to save their farms from getting damaged are finally heaving a sigh of relief following the capture of the wild jumbo.

A few months ago in April Karuppan, another crop-raiding elephant was captured in Talavadi hills and released in the Thattakarai forest range in Erode.