With a second kumki set to arrive at Talavadi on Friday morning and the Forest Department preparing a strategy to drive back the single-tusker into forest area in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), the operation is expected to commence on Friday evening or Saturday.
Devendra Kumar Meena, District Forest Officer of Hasanur division, and Deputy Field Director of STR told The Hindu that Kumki Chinnathambi had arrived from Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) at Top Slip, while the other Kumki Rajavardhan, also from ATR, would arrive on Friday.
Anti-Depredation Squads (ADS) that handled human-wildlife conflicts, and the elephant tracking team was tracking the particular elephant in Talavadi forest range round-the-clock.
“We are working on a strategy to drive it back into the forest area”, he said.
After finalising the strategy, operation would begin with the two kumkis. The officer clarified that the operation was only to drive back the elephant and not capture it.
Kumki Chinnathambi arrives in Talavadi on Thursday.
The development comes after a farmer Mallanayakar, 72, of Doddagajanur village was trampled to death by the elephant at his farm land at Dharmapuram early on Wednesday morning. Villagers staged a protest for five hours urging the department to deploy kumkis to drive the elephant deep into the forest area. The residents complained that crop-raiding elephants posed a threat to their lives and wanted trenches to be maintained properly.
On Thursday, an earthmover was deployed to dig a trench for 3.7 km from Eripuram to Diginarai village while work also commenced to erect solar fences. A team led by S. Sathish, Talavadi Range Officer, was monitoring the works as villagers were asked not to venture near forest areas.
Mr. Meena said the ADS in Talavadi and Jerahalli ranges would be provided with two more vehicles and 10 more additional personnel. A proposal to enhance the compensation to the victim’s family was also being made, he added.
Field training would be provided to the ADS at Mettupalayam. “The possibility of procuring protective gear for the team is being explored on an urgent basis,” he added.
