Coimbatore​: After continuous agitation by a section of farmers and political pressure, the Forest department undertook ‘operation Vinayak’ on Tuesday by relocating one of the ‘innocent’ wild tuskers from Coimbatore but charged as ‘crop raiders’, to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).
While the Forest department had planned to capture the two so-called ‘problematic crop raiding wild tuskers Vinayagan and Chinna-Thambi’ from Coimbatore and turn them into ‘kumkis’ just for their attractive size and massive weight, all the NGOs across the state particularly in Coimbatore condemned the move and demanded they be set free into the forest.
Meanwhile a female elephant along with its calf started to frequently enter brick chambers at Chinna-Thadagam and Periya Thadagam areas and charged on people found roaming in forest fringe areas for consuming alcohol during late night hours. But farmers associations sans any knowledge dubbed them rouge tuskers.
‘’Most humans who died in recent elephant attack were found with alcohol presence in their body during post-mortem and women who entered forest fringe areas for attending nature’s call also died in man-elephant conflict’’ said a forest higher official. However the farmers’ association started blaming Chinna-Thambi and Vinayagan for publicity sake, as they did not care for a scientific approach to fine a permanent solution to the issue.
Saiyed, a member of ‘OSAI’ a city-based NGO told the DC, “wild elephants are known as migratory animals, were as Chinna-Thambi and Vinayagan remained an exception; they both remained inside Coimbatore forest division for the past three to four years roaming between forest ranges of Coimbatore and Periyanaickenplayam.”
After their migratory paths were blocked by Ashrams, educational, institutions, resorts, CRPF training institute, and brick manufacturing chambers, people responsible for it have unwittingly turned the two male elephants into ‘crop raiders’. Yet, the duo remained calm despite local youth’s provocation by taking selfies and throwing stones, he explained.
While all the mistakes are man-made why should an innocent elephant be relocated, asked the activists who opposed the move. However, frequent petitions and protests to district collector, CCF and PCCF offices, put pressure on this case. Officials passed an order to relocate one of the two jumbos, brushing aside reports of elephant expert Ajay Desai and NGOs’ who boycotted Tuesday’s operation.
Top official Deepak Srevatsava told the press, three special teams were deployed for monitoring the two elephants for more than 40 days. “Vinayagan, we thought of leaving him on expert Ajay Desai’s suggestion and we targeted Chinna-Thambi on Monday night inside a banana plantation; as it was accompanied by two more wild tuskers we were unable to split them till 4 am on Tuesday,” he said.
Later, there was a move by veterinarians to dart ‘Vinayagan’, after it was found in another place, with a shot of Ketamine and Zylozil combination, but it moved behind Marudamalai foothills. Given its ‘musth period’, the jumbo remained calm.
Three Kumkis were brought to the spot and after a great struggle Vinayagan was radio colored for further study and loaded in the forest
department truck around 5 pm and sent to MTR. It will be released in the
tri-junction of Wayanad in Kerala, Bandhipur in Karnataka and Mudhumalai of Tamil Nadu dense forest area, added the CCF.
While Nilgiris is continuously witnessing elephant menace, the release of Vinayagan may trigger anger among the locals, added an activist.
