Kerala: Protests intensify against HC’s order to relocate rogue elephant

The high court last week ordered that the 40-year-old jumbo, which has been wreaking havoc in human settlements in Chinnakanal and Santhampara panchayats in the Idukki district, to be darted, radio-collared and trans-located in Parambikulam tiger reserve based o

Villagers in Palakkad and Thrissur districts on Monday intensified their protest against the move to relocate Arikomban, a rogue elephant, from Idukki to Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary following Kerala high court’s order. The elephant had allegedly been foraging, and causing damage to the property in the human settlement areas for the past 16 months.

Locals staged a sit-in protest in front of wildlife warden’s office in Nemmara (HT Photo/Sourced)

The high court last week ordered that the 40-year-old jumbo, which has been wreaking havoc in human settlements in Chinnakanal and Santhampara panchayats in the Idukki district, to be darted, radio-collared and trans-located in Parambikulam tiger reserve based on the report filed by the high court-appointed expert panel on matters pertaining to the arising human-elephant conflict situations in the state.

Last month, the court blocked the forest department’s plan to make the rogue jumbo a ‘Kumki’ (captive trainer elephants) after the intervention of animal lovers. Later, the high court-appointed expert committee suggested that the elephant can be released into the Parambikulam tiger reserve after tranquillising.

However, many villages around the tiger reserve opposed the move saying the notorious elephant, claimed to be responsible for many deaths and destruction of properties in Idukki, will wreak havoc and spell doom for them.

Leading the protest, K Babu, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA, representing the Nenmara constituency, along with panchayat presidents, and farmer outfits moved the high court against the committee’s decision.

Meanwhile, the protestors observed a 12-hour shutdown in the Muthalamada panchayat in Palakkad. On Thursday and Friday, locals also staged a sit-in protest in front of the wildlife warden’s office.

“It was a specialist in raiding human habitats and destroying properties and lives. We have no idea why is it being relocated to disturb our peace. Experts said the jumbo’s movement range is 40 km and many villages will come under this range,” said P Velayudhan, a Palakkad farmer.

“People of six panchayats will be affected if it was relocated. We cannot accept such a risky proportion. We have already approached the court against it,” said K Babu.

Last month, a division bench of chief justice S Manikumar and justice Murali Purushothaman of Kerala high court stayed ‘Operation Arikomban’ after the People for Animals and Walking Eye Foundation for Animal Advocacy approached the court saying the move to capture the elephant and make it a ‘Kumki’ through rigorous training was unscientific and cruel.

The foundation claimed that human intervention and lack of food and water caused by encroachment were the main reasons for elephant incursions and netting or capturing it was not a permanent solution.

Later, the high court constituted an expert committee that recommended the relocation of the animal.

The jumbo was called Arikomban due to its love for rice. In Malayalam, rice means “ari” and “komban” is a bull elephant. It earned enough notoriety after it raided many ration shops regularly for rice and two ration shops were later shifted to faraway places.

Idukki residents said after shifting ration shops it started attacking houses for rice. According to some, the elephant destroyed more than 60 houses and shops and trampled eight people to death in past two years. In an affidavit given to the high court by the first department, it said that the rogue elephant has killed seven people and destroyed more than 30 buildings in the last six months.