Jumbo injured by avuttukai in Kerala before reaching Anamalai Tiger Reserve

COIMBATORE: After the postmortem report of the female elephant which died at Varagaliyar in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) on Sunday revealed that the elephant was injured after biting an avuttukai (country-made bomb), forest department officials ruled out that the incident happened in Coimbatore forest division and suspect the animal could have come from Kerala. However, officials are planning to conduct checks in Coimbatore division for use of avuttukai. The adult elephant was captured from Karamadai forest range and shifted to ATR for treatment.

According to the postmortem report, the animal’s middle and right plate in the right mandible was completely damaged by the blast, Further, there were ulcerative and gangrenous wounds on its tongue because of which the animal starved resulting in malnutrition, cardio-pulmonary shock and death.

S Ramasubramanian, conservator of forest and field director of ATR, told TNIE that Karamadai is located close to the Mannarkkad forest division in Kerala and the animal might have entered into farmlands from there. “We have sought a meeting with Palakkad district-level officials at Walayar and we will ask them to carry checks in their area.

We will also discuss about conducting synchronised elephant census and requesting them to use technology-based cameras which will detect the elephants before it approaches the railway track so that trains can be slowed down. Camera installation works are already in progress in Madukkarai forest range.”

“Instructions have been given to district forest officer TK Ashok Kumar to form a special team in seven forest ranges headed by Assistant Conservator of forest (ACF) to find not only illegal usage of avuttukai that are being used for hunting wild boars and spotted deer, but also for illegal electric fences and find out the reason for man-animal conflict and submit a report within a week,” he said

Although Avuttukai is being allegedly placed by the miscreants to kill wild boars to prevent them from damaging crops, but elephants are getting injured. This is the third elephant death after biting avuttukai since 2016 in Coimbatore forest division. While three were arrested in connection with the death of an elephant calf that died from biting avuttukai on August 10, 2016, no arrest has been made in the death of another female elephant that died at Boluvampatti forest range on March 24, 2022.

N Sadiq Ali, founder of Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust said the forest department alone can’t stop such incidents and should join hands with police to curb such incidents.