Translocated wild elephant monitored using radio collar, drone in Chinna Kallar

Forest Dept. monitoring makhna's movement via radio collar & drone; released drone footage of it grazing in Chinna Kallar. Radio collar will provide signals for 2 yrs. Makhna captured after frequenting agricultural fields near Pollachi since April. Translocated from Dharmapuri, then ATR, then Valparai. Vets removed abscess & administered meds before releasing into wild. Hoping 3rd translocation will acclimatise elephant to new place.

The Forest Department is monitoring the movement of a makhna (tuskless male elephant) that was translocated from Saralapathi near Pollachi to Chinna Kallar near Valparai on Monday, using signals from the radio collar fixed on the animal and with a drone.

The Department on Tuesday released drone footage of the elephant grazing in a forest area of Chinna Kallar.

“The location is ideal for the elephant as water and fodder are easily available. The radio collar, provided by the WWF-India, is emitting signals every two hours. The device will provide signals for about two years,” said S. Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR).

The makhna was captured after it frequented agricultural fields in villages including Saralapathi, around 20 km away from Pollachi, since April this year.

The elephant was first translocated from Dharmapuri district to ATR on February 5 this year. The animal was translocated to another area of ATR on February 23 after it strayed from forests again and travelled to Perur near Coimbatore. The Forest Department hopes that the third translocation to Chinna Kallar will fetch results and the elephant will get acclimatised to the new place.

Before releasing into the wild on Monday, the veterinarians removed pus from an abscess on the right foreleg of the elephant and administered medicines.