Killer jumbo tranquilised, to be relocated to Sathy forest

Coimbatore

The jumbo triggering panic in a few villages in Denkanikottai had trampled to death a 49-year-old farmer from Melagoundanur village on Wednesday. He was heading to a market in Denkanikottai to sell vegetables, when the tusker came his way and attacked him to death.

This incident led villagers to resort to protest demanding to relocate the elephant. They refused to allow the forest department to take away the body. Thereafter senior forest department officials convinced the villagers to take immediate efforts to shift the jumbo elsewhere.

Villagers said that last month the same animal killed two other farmers; Thimmarayappa from Balathottanapalli village and Chennappa from Chinnapoothukottai village.

Following persistent demands from villagers, the forest department decided to capture the animal. A team of around 50 forest department staff swung into action on Thursday early morning. They monitored the elephant movement using a drone.

The elephant was tranquilised with two shots by veterinarians. As the animal stood still under the influence of sedation, it was radio collared and lifted into a forest department vehicle. An official of the forest department said that the elephant will be let into the dense forest cover in Sathyamangalam. A large number of people had gathered to watch the capturing of the wild jumbo.