Retired veterinarian roped in to capture wild elephant Karuppan in Erode’s Talavadi Hills 

The move comes after the Erode district Forest Department’s 100-member team, including veterinarians, failed to capture the elephant during the ‘Operation Black’ from January 12 to 19.

The Forest Department in Erode district has roped in retired veterinarian N.S. Manoharan to carry out an operation to capture a wild elephant nicknamed Karuppan, in Talavadi Hills, and fix a radio collar on it and translocate it here, on Tuesday.

The move comes after the Forest Department’s 100-member team, including veterinarians, failed to capture the elephant during the ‘Operation Black’ from January 12 to 19. Farmers were demanding that an experienced team of veterinarians be roped in so that the elephant, that raids crops and conflicts with humans in Talavadi and Jerahalli Forest Ranges for over one year, be captured successfully for translocation.

On Tuesday, elephant trackers, veterinarians and other forest staff entered the forest area to study the terrain and possible locations where the elephant could be darted.

Two kumkis, Bomman and Sujay, from Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), were stationed at the base camp at Maharajapuram in Talavadi Forest Range. Officials said that a 75-member team from both the ranges would be involved in the operation that is expected to begin in two or three days.

On Monday night, Karuppan was found at a sugarcane field at Eripuram village and farmers chased it away. The whereabouts of the elephant will be known only if it enters farm land on Tuesday night, officials added.