Following the submission of a report by a five-member committee to investigate the necessity of Mission Arikomban under the forest department, the court issued its order.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered to transfer of 'Arikomban', the wild jumbo that has been creating a nuisance around Chinnakkanal in Idukki district, to Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary in Palakkad district.
The court issued its order following the submission of a report by a five-member committee to investigate the necessity of Mission Arikomban under the forest department.
While considering the case, the High Court questioned why Parambikulam rather than Periyar Tiger Reserve was chosen. The court also raised suspicion that whether Arikomban will have a clash with other existing animals.
The report stated that Parambikulam is a habitat for Arikomban. It has food and water readily available for the wild tusker.
Besides ordering the elephant to be captured and moved, the court directed that no fireworks or pictures should be taken during the tusker's capture, and no social media celebrations be held. As per the report of the expert committee, the elephant will be set free at the Muthumarachal Oru Komban region in Parambikulam. The report also added that the tusker can be shifted to Parambikulam within just six hours.
The expert committee had a meeting to discuss Arikomban's destiny after visiting numerous parts of the Idukki district on Monday that had been impacted by the tusker's actions and hearing the villagers' complaints.
Residents of Santhanpara, Chinnakanal, and other affected grama panchayats bordering the well-known hill station of Munnar in the Idukki district would be pleased with the panel's decision to translocate the elephant because they have been calling for its removal for several days.
The case was considered by a Division Bench of Justice Jayasankar Nambiar and Justice P Gopinath. The Kodanad Elephant Training Center was chosen by the forest department earlier to accommodate the wild tusker. The five-person committee was constituted by the court on March 29. The government's decision to tranquillize, capture, and relocate the tusker to a cage in the Kodanad elephant camp was also delayed till April 5.
