Fear gripped the thickly populated Mananthavady town in Wayanad on Friday morning, as a wild elephant entered the area. Prohibitory orders were issued in Mananthavady on Friday following this. The animal named Thanneer, had been radio-collared by the Karnataka Forest Department in early January Released in Nagarhole National Park on January 17.
Prohibitory orders
The District Collector Dr Renu Raj has issued prohibitory orders in Edavaka panchayat and Mananthavadi municipality to avoid any casualties. The authorities have instructed the children who had reached schools in Mananthavady to continue in their classrooms and those who were preparing to leave for school to stay at home instead. The Tehsildar has announced that students should not be sent to schools centred around Mananthavady town until further notice. The District administration has cautioned the people of the municipal area to keep away from the town and avoid travelling. All drivers were advised to keep away from the area.
District Collector also warned of strict action against those in the public who take photographs of the elephant and unnecessarily follow it.
Last night, the elephant was spotted in the Payodu area of the Edavaka panchayat. Residents reported that the elephant was fitted with a radio collar. Dairy farmers who were on their way to distribute milk spotted the elephant first in the morning. Following this, forest officials and police reached the location.
Spotted at 6 am at Payode, the animal travelled about 6 kms to reach the town. As warning signals went ahead of the animal through social networking sites and media, major havoc was avoided. No casualties so far even after the animal crossed many busy junctions of the town. The elephant arrived near Mananthavady town by around 8 am and by 9 am it was seen near the fields of the Thazheyangadi area. Towards 10 am the animal entered the Newman College premises and was stationed with a green cover. The animal had crossed human habitats and busy roads without wreaking much havoc as expected. A team of forest department personnel headed by North Wayanad DFO Martini Lowell is tracking the movement of the animal and trying to drive the animal away from human habitats.
Elephant to be tranquillized
The elephant will be tranquillized and shifted to forest zones as soon as possible, Minister for Forests and Wildlife Welfare AK Saseendran said.
“Moves are afoot to ensure the cooperation of the Karnataka Forest Department as the animal belongs to them", he said.
Wildlife experts and Rapid Response Team are trying to rope in the service of darting experts among veterinarians for the mission. As the animal is stationed in a less populated marshy area near Newman's College, wildlife experts are hopeful that tranquillizing the elephant will be relatively easy.
Who is Thaneer?
The forest department confirmed that the animal had crossed into the state from the Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka. A regular crop raider, the animal was tranquillized and radio-collared at Hassan and later released in the Nagarhole National Park on January 17. The animal was named Thanner after radio-collaring. The animal entered the state through the Tirunelli- Makkimala forest zones. Apart from a large posse of police, the Rapid Response Team of the Forest Department and higher officials of Revenue, Police and Forest departments are following the animal.
