Tamil Nadu: Section 144 imposed in Cumbum as operation to capture Arikomban begins

As operations are underway to capture the rogue tusker Arikomban, Section 144 has been imposed in Theni’s Cumbum district in Tamil Nadu. Kumki elephants have been brought from Pollachi’s Topslip to capture him. Reports also said that veterinary doctors have also been brought from Madurai and Hosur to help with tranquilising Arikomban.

Earlier in the day, Arikomban was seen wandering through the streets of Cumbum and had injured three people while also damaging some vehicles. People in Cumbum have been asked to take precautionary measures and not step outside their houses.

Forest officials from the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, police officers, and revenue officials are involved in monitoring Arikomban’s movement and chasing him away into the forest. The officials were informed when the tusker had destroyed crops of a farmer in Gudalur in Nilgiris district. They had been keeping track of the tusker and according to reports, Arikomban had come to Cumbum at 4 am on Saturday, May 4.

On May 4, Arikomban was spotted in Theni’s Meghamalai and had reportedly entered that area on three separate occasions. Arikomban had travelled 40 km in a span of four days and was spotted in Chuliyur area at the foothills of Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.

On April 29, the rogue elephant was translocated with the help of 150 officials and four kumki elephants. On the day he was being translocated, a curfew was imposed in Kumily. The operation to capture Arikomban began one day before on April 28 but was not successful. The officials then began their work again in the early morning hours of the next day. By 5 pm on April 29, officials had managed to capture Arikomban and get him into an ‘elephant ambulance’, a lorry with two wooden poles on the side. After that, two officials placed a radio collar to track the movements of the elephant.