An atmosphere of fear hangs heavy in the air at Pulikkatharakadavu village near Thuravur, Alappuzha district, where an elephant that ran amok and got trapped in a marshy land on Tuesday has been tethered.
The animal, which was rescued on Tuesday night from the swamp, could not be taken to Alappuzha, the nearby town, even on Thursday as it went berserk on the night of rescue.
Currently, it is secured to a tree located in a holding at Valamangalam, which is about 1 km from the marsh where it was trapped.
The animal had destroyed a few houses and an autorickshaw in the night of rescue, creating panic in the area.
The tusker had to be tranquillised twice to bring it under control.
The presence of the restive animal in the thickly populated village had triggered a protest by the local people.
A section of the residents had also started an agitation demanding compensation for the damage caused by the animal.
The apprehension that the elephant would refuse to walk along the narrow bridge that connected the marsh to the road had added to the worries of the islanders who spent a sleepless night with the aggressive animal around the village.
However, the elephant, which had calmed down on Wednesday night, obeyed the orders of its mahouts and walked along the bridge to reach the narrow road that runs through the village on Thursday evening around 4 p.m.
Tough time
The police had a tough time managing the crowd as the animal was being escorted out to the mainland.
Though a lorry was brought for taking the elephant to Alappuzha, the idea was dropped as the animal showed weakness in its right front limb, said Saseendra Dev, the veterinarian of the Travancore Devasom Board, who was attending to the animal. The elephant had turned aggressive and run off the lorry in which it was being transported from Ernakulam to Alappuzha in the early hours of Tuesday before it got trapped in the swamp.
Though there are no houses in the immediate vicinity of the holding where the elephant has been chained, the occasional trumpeting of the elephant is keeping the villagers on the edge.
It may take a day more for the villagers to get back to their routines and lead a fearless life as the veterinarians hope to take the animal out of the village on Friday.
Elephant specialists armed with tranquillising guns and policemen are keeping guard in the area to control the animal and reassure the villagers.
