Kerala’s rogue elephant codenamed PT-7 tranquilized; efforts on to bring it to kraal

Minister for Forests A.K. Sasindran congratulated the forest officials on tracing and traquilizing PT-7, which had become a terror for Dhoni, Akathethara, Malampuzha and Puthuppariyaram panchayats.

A forest team on the trail of a rogue elephant codenamed Palakkad Tusker-7 (PT-7) resumed its drive to capture the wild elephant on Sunday morning. The team, led by Chief Forest Veterinary Officer Arun Zachariah, located PT-7 about 4 km inside the forest at Korma between Dhoni and Mundur and shot it with a tranquilizer dart around 7.15 a.m.

The tusker was brought under anesthesia by 8 a.m., and efforts began to guide it into a lorry. The lorry was brought to the area where PT-7 was tranquilized, by clearing the path with the help of an earthmover.

Minister for Forests A.K. Sasindran congratulated the forest officials on tracing and traquilizing PT-7, which had become a terror for Dhoni, Akathethara, Malampuzha and Puthuppariyaram panchayats.

Mr. Sasindran said that the first phase of the operation was successful with the tranquilizer darting. “The next two phases too are crucial, though. The tusker has to be guided into the lorry and brought to Dhoni, where a kraal has been set. Then it has to be placed in the kraal with the help of three kumki elephants,” the Minister said.

The news about the tranquilizer shot brought cheers to the people of Dhoni and neighbouring areas as they have been living in fear because of frequent raids by PT-7 in the last two years.

The Forest Department took the decision to capture and tame PT-7 following pressure from the people. According to forest officials, the tusker had remained outside the forest more than 180 days of the last one year and destroyed farmlands at several areas. Acting like a leader, PT-7, presumably 20 years old, used to attract other elephants also in its frequent raids.

PT-7 was suspected to have been the elephant that trampled a 60-year-old man to death while he was on a morning walk along with his friends at Dhoni in July last year. “PT-7 was responsible for more than 90 per cent of the elephant conflicts in the region,” said Dr. Zachariah.