Combing operation enters fifth day, but no sign of Belur Makhana

Forest department's combing operation to capture a dangerous elephant continues for the fifth day, facing various challenges.

The combing operation of the Forest department for capturing the Belur Makhana, that had killed a farmer last week, was unsuccessful for the fifth consecutive day on Thursday.

A team of officials comprising trackers, darting experts, and four trained elephants searched for the elephant in the Manivayal forest area near Panavally under the North Wayanad forest division, but they could not locate the animal.

The presence of another elephant near the tuskless male elephant also made the task dart the animal difficult.

Adverse climate, rough terrain and wild undergrowth in the area added to the woes of the officials.

“Though we had reached about 100 metres near the elephant we could not dart it owing to the undergrowth,” a Forest department official said, Thick canopy in the area hindered the monitoring of the jumbo using drones, sources said.

A 25-member tiger elephant task force, under a forest range officer, from Karnataka joined with the 200 frontline forest staff of the State forest department for the operation on Thursday.

Veterinary surgeon and darting expert Arun Zachariya would join with the team on Friday.