Residents And Shop Owners Are Hoping To Catch A Huge Arisiraja In Coimbatore
Update: 2021-12-14 13:00 IST
Representational Image
On Monday, residents and shop owners in Pandanthorai, around Gudalur, raised black flags in protest of the Forest Department's failure to stop Arisiraja, a makna elephant that invaded shops and households in the area and fed on rice and various grocery goods. The male elephant is known as Pandalur Makna 2, villagers referred to him as 'Arisiraja' since he favours rice (arisi in Tamil) to other foods.
According to S Suresh, the elephant's repeated invasions, a resident of Chelukkady hamlet, prompted the black flag protest. He remarked thaton November 13, they blocked a road in protest, pleading with the Forest Department to keep the elephant out of our neighbourhood. It is been a month and nothing has been done.
Suresh stated that the request Forest Department officers to capture the makna. After the elephant attacked 48-year-old woman, she suffered spinal cord injury and is now bedridden.
The villagers mentioned that despite the Forest Department's deployment of two kumki elephants to contain the makna, Arisiraja continued to cause damage to houses and crops in farmlands. Arisiraja proceeded to Devala, which is five kilometres from Padanthorai, on Monday, according to Forest Department authorities.
Officials had chosen to transport two Kumki elephants to Devala in order to avoid further damage to people' property.
As per Gudalur Forest Division official, they were granted permission to just drive the 'trouble-making' elephants away, notably Arisiraja, rather than trap the animal as the residents of Pandanthorai had wanted.