Overview
- Forest teams captured the lone sub-adult tusker on Wednesday, July 15, after a day-long operation near Palamaner in Chittoor district.
- The animal had spent nearly a year repeatedly entering villages and highways, damaging crops, attacking cattle and earlier injuring Forest Section Officer Sukumar.
- About 50 forest personnel, five trained kumki elephants, veterinarians, mahouts and trackers carried out the operation using advanced drones, GPS trackers and thermal cameras.
- Senior forest officials secured legal clearance under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and followed Project Elephant guidelines, and the capture was monitored by the PCCF and the Conservator of Forests.
- The tusker remains under close observation at Musalamadugu camp for health and behaviour assessment, after which experts will decide on relocation, rehabilitation or possible kumki training, a move that could reduce risks to motorists and farmers in the area.