2 kumki elephants deployed in forest
The Forest Department has replaced the two kumki elephants (tamed and trained) deployed at Pooluvampatti after they developed musth.Following incidents of elephant herds straying into human habitations in search of food and water in and around Pooluvampatti range, the forest department drafted the services of two kumkis Pallavan (52) and Nanjan (46) from the department’s elephant camp at Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in Top Slip near Pollachi. The two developed musth wherein elephants in the “height of fit health conditions would act violently in search of a companion for ventilation of their biological urge”. “Male elephants developing such a biological urge and behaving violently happened every year. Only the levels deferred depending on whether the elephants were able to find a receptive female elephant”, Forest Veterinarian, N.S. Manoharan said.The Conservator of Forests, Erode, P. Durairasu (holding additional charge of Coimbatore) and the District Forest Officer, I. Anwardeen made arrangements with the wildlife warden of the Mudumalai Sanctuary for bringing in two other kumki elephants from the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary. With the kumkis Wasim (30) and Inder (57) having reached Pooluvampatti, the forest authorities were busy making arrangements for making the Top Slip kumkis board the lorries for taking them back. Taking them back to the sanctuary in the “pre-musth” stage was advisable, Dr. Manoharan said.The Range Officer, G. Rajeswaran said that with immediate effect the two kumkis would take over the task of chasing the herds back into the jungle to prevent crop raids in the area.
