A total of 26 elephants participated in the Pongal celebrations organised by the Forest Department at Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Friday.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Coimbatore Circle) I. Anwardeen, ATR Assistant Conservator of Forests E. Prasanth and other forest officials participated in the celebrations. “Usually, we have [the Pongal celebrations] at Topslip, but due to COVID-19, we could not bring the elephants there,” Mr. Prasanth said.
Though Kozhikamuthi camp has 28 elephants, two tuskers did not participate as they were in musth. Chinna Thambi, the crop-raider who was captured in 2019, and celebrity kumki Kaleem were among the elephants that took part in the celebrations, he said.
The elephants were decorated and fed. Mahouts and residents of the tribal settlements within the ATR were honoured, Mr. Prasanth said.
