The Forest Department is continuing its operation to drive out a tusker that created panic at Navamalai near Aliyar in Coimbatore.
Officials said kumkis Suyambu and Bharani, which were brought from Topslip on Monday, are stationed in the forest fringes to keep the wild elephant at bay.
“The main reason for the tusker roaming near Navamalai is due to the presence of water in Aliyar. It had moved to the place due to lack of water on its home turf at Valparai,” said A.S. Marimuthu, District Forest Officer for Pollachi Forest Division and Deputy Director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve.
Abundance of jackfruit had also attracted the wild elephant to Navamalai.
Apart from the two kumkis, frontline workers of the Department are constantly monitoring the movement of the wild elephant, which is aged between 20 and 25.
A. Kasilingam, Forest Range Officer, Pollachi forest range, said the wild elephant could not move to Navamalai area since the deployment of the kumkis on Monday.
“The presence of the kumkis has scared the wild elephant. The staff is also using fire crackers to chase the animal back into forest whenever required,” he said.
The tusker had killed two residents of Navamalai tribal settlement last week. While K. Ranjana (7) from the settlement was trampled to death late on Friday, another resident K. Mahali (65) was killed late on Saturday.
