Arikomban spotted near Sankarapandian Mettu, forest officials to resume work immediately

IDUKKI: The forest officers rummaged through the green lushes of Chinnakanal to capture the rogue elephant Arikomban. The nine hours of search reached its nadir when the battalion of officers failed to get a glimpse of the tusker, let alone tranquilize it. However now, Arikomban has been spotted during the early darks near Sankarapandian Mettu in Idukki. The locals identified the tusker roaming the tea plantation nearby. The news was immediately transferred to the officers. The tusker was spotted at 5 pm in the evening.

According to forest officials, another elephant “Chakkakomban” turned rogue and entered into the group which made Arikomban go separate ways. It is normal for elephants to leave a group when another turns rogue. The forest officials discern Arikomban coming back to normalcy from its rogue days.

The purported mission to trap the wild one began at 4:30 in the morning but went into disarray after the forest officials went helter-skelter trying to find the rogue elephant. The mission was about to resume back at 8 am tomorrow morning when the news came about the elephant being seen near Sankarapandian Mettu.