Two kumki elephants from the Theppakadu elephant camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) are being transported to Theni district to deal with a wild elephant which reportedly trampled a villager in Uthamapalayam Range in Theni to death.
Speaking to The Hindu , S. Senbagapriya, Deputy Director (Core Zone) of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, said the two kumkis , Vijay, 45, and Wasim, 35, were earlier deployed to deal with human-elephant conflicts.
She said that the two kumkis would be accompanied to Theni by their mahouts, elephant trackers, a forester and a livestock assistant.
Pressure from villagers
“The two kumkis are being sent to Theni on the orders of the Chief Wildlife Warden and are expected to be there for around a month, depending on when the problematic elephant is captured,” Ms. Senbagapriya said.
The kumkis are to assist the Forest Department in Theni in capturing a makhna which allegedly killed a villager a couple of months ago. The residents there have been exerting pressure on the Department to capture and relocate the makhna as they claim that it has killed a number of people over the years.
Forest Department officials said they were unsure whether the elephant in question was the same makhna that was responsible for other deaths.
Further investigation would be undertaken to identify the animal for relocation.
On Tuesday, the kumkis — Wasim and Vijay — were loaded on to flat-bed trucks and transported to Theni district.
Earlier, kumkis from the Kolikamudi Elephant Camp were deployed to drive away elephants in Uthamapalayam, but to no avail.
