The lone tusker had been posing a threat to villagers of the Thalavadi, Hasanur, and Jeerahalli areas of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Erode district for the past year.
“All forms of tactics, including bursting crackers and drumming sounds didn’t stop the elephant.” K Rasukannu, a farmer from Thalavadi, said speaking to South First.
Karuppan was a habitual crop raider and had never spared any vegetation or farming in the area. According to the Forest Department, the rogue elephant has killed two people so far.
“In the wee hours of Monday (17 April), we spotted Karuppan in a sugarcane field at Maharajapuram. Our veterinarians shot tranquiliser darts,” Thalavadi Forest Ranger S Sathish said.