The lone elephant strayed out of its habitat from the Thadagam Reserve Forest in Coimbatore district and entered a sugarcane field at Sokkampalayam near Annur, making a brief appearance on Friday. Photo: K. Ananthan
Forest officials kept a close watch on the sugarcane field where the lone elephant was sighted at Sokkampalayam near Annur on Friday night. Photo: K. Ananthan
A tractor was used up to light up the area around the sugarcane field. Photo: K. Ananthan
Forest veterinarian N.S. Manoharan entered the sugarcane field atop a Kumki (trained) elephant in an attempt to tranquilise the wild elephant on Friday night. However, the attempt failed when the 4.5-tonne tusker twitched its tail and inadvertently brushed aside the dart fired at it. Photo: K. Ananthan
Despite the vigil by Forest officials, the tusker slipped out of the field and moved several kilometers away before settling down in another sugarcane field near Sathyamangalam on Saturday. Villagers gathered near the Nagaranai sugarcane field after hearing about the wild elephant. Photo: K. Ananthan
Conservators of Forests V.T. Kandasamy (Coimbatore) and D. Arun (Erode), N. Sathish, District Forest Officer, Erode and C.H. Padma, Assistant Conservator of Forests, drew up an elaborate plan that included the use of the kumkis, trackers and a ramp to capture the elephant and enable it to climb onto a truck. Here one of the Kumkis arrives at Nagaranai near Sathyamangalam on Saturday, to assist in the rescue. Photo: K. Ananthan
With the arrival of the Kumkis, Dr. Manoharan was able to proceed with the plan to tranquilise the elephant. The picture shows Kumkis about to enter the sugarcane field on Saturday. Photo: K. Ananthan
The tranquiliser dart being made ready with the correct dosage. Photo: K. Ananthan
Forest veterinarian N.S. Manoharan seated on a Kumki approaching the field with a dart gun. District Forest Officer, Coimbatore, V. Thirunavukkarasu and Dr. Manoharan had trailed the elephant during its long trek from Thadagam. Photo: K. Ananthan
The tusker runs into the fields after it was hit by the dart. Photo: K. Ananthan
Then, as the drug took effect, the kumkis got to work. The three Kumki elephants - Mudumalai, Sujay and Wasim – from the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, escort the wild elephant out of the field at Nagaranai. Photo: K. Ananthan
The wild elephant (second from left) was captured after three days of pursuit by Forest Department personnel. But it did not cause any damage to lives or property, officials said. Photo: K. Ananthan
The three Kumkis closely herded the tusker from either side and from behind towards the waiting truck. Photo: K. Ananthan
One of the Kumki elephants (right) was even engaged in a duel with the wild elephant while it was escorted to the waiting truck. Photo: K. Ananthan
The wild elephant was then forced into the truck to be transported to a reserve forest near Bhavani Sagar. Photo: K. Ananthan
The officials on Saturday said the elephant would be monitored and moved deep into the jungle near Moyar, a valley between the Talamalai Hills and the northeastern slope of the Nilgiris. Photo: K. Ananthan