Rogue elephant PT-7 spotted and tranquillised in Kerala

Kerala

By K A Shaji

January 22, 2023

The 70-member team was led by celebrated veterinarian Arun Zachariah.

Kerala

It took over 50 days, but the elephant, codenamed PT-7, short for Palakkad Tusker-7, was traced to the fringes of the forest between the villages of Dhoni and Mundur.

Kerala

The elephant had been spotted on Saturday, but a mission to capture it was cancelled late in the evening as PT-7 was found camping on the steep slope of a hill.

Kerala

Forest officials thought using tranquillising darts would prove to be risky as the elephant could collapse into the valley and die.

Kerala

Soon after the elephant was tranquillised, Zachariah’s team began the process of preparing it to be moved to a kraal, or a fenced enclosure.

Kerala

Built using eucalyptus trees and with a “six-foot deep foundation”, the kraal is designed to withstand the wrath of the wild tusker and protect the animal from injury.

Kerala

A pair of trained captive Kumki elephants were used to mount the tusker, now chained and blindfolded, onto a lorry.

Kerala

The government, officials said, is yet to decide whether it should be handed over to a zoo or released into the forests somewhere else.

Kerala

Officials said PT-7 was the most mischievous among the trouble-making wild animals that have created headlines in recent years.

Kerala

Kerala has had a few other elephants that also caught public attention. Padayappa of Munnar is a tusker known for smashing vehicles and damaging buildings.

Kerala