With the rogue tusker — Arikomban — entering the streets of Cumbum town on Saturday, the police and forest authorities, who were visibly taken aback, announced Section 144 prohibiting the residents from stepping out of their dwellings until further orders.
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As a precautionary measure, electricity was disrupted since morning and buses were suspended from entering the town. The ‘unexpected’ visitor roamed many streets in the municipal limits from as early as 8 a.m. and knocked the shutters of a ration shop searching for rice. Even though some enthusiastic youth followed the pachyderm on their two-wheelers and attempted to take selfie from a distance, there was panic all around.
Superintendent of Police Praveen Umesh Dongare, District Forest Officer Samartha, Megamalai Tiger Reserve Deputy Director Anand, forest rangers Muralidharan and Anbu and their ground staff were closely watching the movement of ‘Arikomban’ and appealed to the residents to stay indoors. With the satellite radio collar installed on the pachyderm, multiple teams were deployed on surveillance.
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On April 29, the elephant was tranquilised and let off inside Mullaikodi RF in the Periyar Tiger Reserve Project. Subsequently, the movement of the elephant suggested that it was going via the Kannagi Temple to Megamalai Forest. However, since Friday night, it started moving towards Cumbum - Gudalur stretch and stepped inside the municipal limits.
Power was disrupted at the Tangedco sub-station at Cumbum and Pudupatti, officials said and added that since the elephant was spotted along the Cumbum - Gudalur bypass and near the foothills of the western ghats, public transport and vehicle movement was also suspended.
Forest officials said that since 2 p.m. the pachyderm was resting inside a tamarind farm on the outskirts of Cumbum - Gudalur Salai Road after the officials chased it using dummy pistols.