Arikomban will be tamed: cage getting ready in Kodanad

Thursday 09 March, 2023 | 12:47 AM

KOCHI: Arikomban , who is scaring Munnar, is getting a new cage in Kodanad Aanakkalari. 138 Eucalyptus trees cut down from the forests of Munnar were brought to Kodanad. The cage will be ready within a week. Preparations are being made to shift Arikomban to Kodanad, similar to the way PT 7 elephant was taken from Dhoni. When the cage is ready, Kungi elephants and expert mahouts will be brought from Wayanad. Kottayam High Range Circle Chief Forest Conservator and Munnar DFO are responsible for catching the elephant. Arikomban will have to spend at least one and a half years in the cage. After learning the rules, he will come out from time to time. There are six elephants in Kodanad. There will be two experienced forest department mahouts to teach the rules and control the elephants.

Arikomban, who is estimated to be 30 years old, is causing havoc in the Shanthanpara and Chinnakanal regions. The trouble started more than six years ago. His main time pass is to demolish the ration shops and eat rice and sugar. Chief Wildlife Warden Ganga Singh suggested that Arikomban can be drugged, GSM radio-collared, or moved to another area. In 2017, they tried to catch him but failed.

History of Arikomban