Elephant - Wikipedia
BreakingFeaturedHighlight

Elephant that killed 11 villagers captured in Kerala

470

Forest officials in India’s southern state of Kerala have captured a wild elephant that killed at least 11 people over five years as it raided homes and shops for rice and other grains.

Per Second News reports that India is home to the world’s largest population of Asian elephants, a species listed as endangered after a massive decline in numbers.

Arikomban, a 30-year-old male whose name means “rice tusker”, was caught after a month-long hunt involving 150 searchers and four kumki elephants — captive animals trained to help in the capture of wild elephants — in the hills of Kerala’s Idukki district.

Arikomban was cornered and subdued on Sunday in a nine-hour operation. The animal was hit with five tranquilliser darts.

Hundreds of villagers lined the road, clapping, hooting and taking pictures, as the bound and blindfolded elephant was taken away from the area in a lorry.

Arikomban was fitted with a GPS collar and released deep in the forests of Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve, with an eight-member team including a vet tracking the animal’s movements.

“The elephant has a wound on its trunk from its previous fight with an elephant. It was treated with antibiotics and the wounds dressed before the release,” said Dr Arun Zacharia, the vet who oversaw Arikomban’s capture.

“We have fitted a radio caller and are monitoring its movement.

Elephants are adaptive animals. The bulls are solitary and it will be fine on its own in its new environment.”

Forestry officials had initially planned to capture Arikomban and train it to become a kumki. They set up a dummy grain shop to lure the elephant but the plan was scrapped after a legal challenge by wildlife activists who asked for the animal to be relocated to a forest.

Leave a comment

Related Articles

Just in: US Embassy, Lagos Consulate to close Monday for Presidents’ Day

The United States Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos...

Lagos fake drug bust: NAFDAC seizes 12 truckloads, shuts down 3,000 shops

NAFDAC has recorded another huge success in its first week of operations,...

NDLEA uncovers, seizes stash of illicit drugs concealed in bus under belly compartment

In its relentless drug war, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)...

Again, PDP Loses Key Members as Senators Sani, Laah, Hunkuyi, and Ex-Gov. Yero, Others Join APC

Some People’s Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs including Senator Shehu Sani, former Kaduna...

Exclusive: CCLCA, CASER, Lawyers Endorse Mandatory Third Party Motor Insurance, Cab Drivers Kick

Mixed reactions have continued to trail the directive of the Police Inspector...

Tinubu’s forex policy revolutionizes domestic airline operations – United Nigeria airline boss

The Founder of United Nigeria Airline, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, has praised the...

NNPCL Dismisses Social Media Video Alleging Dispensing Poor Fuel Quality

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has issued a strong...

Kenyan Runner Edwin Koech Wins 2025 Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Carts Home $50,000

Kenya’s Edwin Kibet Koech has emerged victorious in the men’s division of...

Another Rep rejects allegation of $150m bribe from Binance Executive Gambaryan

Rep. Ginger Onwusibe, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on...

Lagos Assembly crisis: Obasa heads to court, challenges removal as Speaker

Mudashiru Obasa, the impeached Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,...

FG Dismisses Binance Executive Tigran Gambaryan’s Allegations

The Federal Government has officially denied allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, a...

US congressman drops bombshell, accuses USAID of funneling taxpayers’ money to Boko Haram, ISIS, Al-Qaeda

A stunning revelation has rocked international circles as American Republican Congressman Scott...

African Union Launches Landmark Credit Rating Agency to Promote Regional Economic Integration

The African Union has taken a significant step towards promoting economic resilience...

UNIZIK expels student for assaulting lecturer

For allegedly assaulting a lecturer, authorities of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UniZik),...

Military chiefs’ visa denial: Canada declines comment, cites privacy concerns

The Canadian High Commission in Nigeria has acknowledged media reports concerning the...

FG approves 150 medical personnel for correctional centres nationwide

In a bid to boost healthcare delivery in Nigeria’s correctional centres, the...

Ex-Abia Attorney General, Ihediwa, Regains SAN Title After 7-Month LPPC’s Suspension

Seven months after his Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was withdrawn, the...

2Baba’s family petitions DSS over singer’s mysterious disappearance amid marital issues

…I’m not engaged to him, she fires back The ongoing marital crisis...

Russia, Nigeria Set for Historic Friendly Match

The Russian Football Union (RFU) has announced that the country’s men’s national...

Pres. Tinubu Arrives in Ethiopia for 38th AU Summit

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday night to...