CHENNAI: The wild tusker named 'Bullet’ which has been wreaking havoc in the Nilgiris district continues to be elusive, despite extensive efforts by forest officials.
On Thursday, the elephant was spotted roaming around in Moolakadai, following which a large team of officials were deployed to tranquilise it.
A video from a drone camera launched to track it shows the elephant navigating dense foliage, occasionally stopping to chew on some plants. However, as seen in the footage, the ever-alert pachyderm appears to sense the presence of the drone by its buzzing noise and hurriedly scampers deep into the forest.
இந்த சத்தத்தை கேட்டதும் ஓடி ஒளியும் புல்லட் யானை - அதிர்ச்சி காட்சிகள் #nilagiri #ThanthiTV pic.twitter.com/4DjpaL9YUc
In the last two months, ‘Bullet', a habitual visitor for two years now, has destroyed more than 35 houses, and valuables inside them, raided agricultural lands, and also stolen rice and other food supplies. Consequently, several protests have erupted across the district, with angry residents demanding immediate action to capture the elephant and ensure their safety.
Earlier this month, drone visuals showed the tusker moving with a herd of eight other wild elephants in a government tea estate in the region.
The forest department’s several measures to scare away ‘Bullet’ into the forest area have failed so far with the elephant continuing its nocturnal intrusions into human habitations in search of food. Besides deploying two kumkis (trained elephants), the forest department personnel has also been trying time-tested strategies like using smoke created from burning dried elephant dung, spraying the dung of ‘musth’ (hormonal surge in tuskers) elephants around houses, and hanging pieces of cloth painted with a paste of natural repellents like chilli powder and neem oil.
(With Bureau inputs)