Forest Department tranquilises elephant that damaged houses in Gudalur; to be relocated 

Forest officials tranquilised and relocated a rogue elephant named Cherambadi Tusker-16 to a safer area, away from human settlements.

The elephant that damaged a number of houses in Cherambadi and Pandalur in the Gudalur forest division was tranquilised by the State Forest Department on Friday, with efforts being initiated to relocate it to another area away from human habitations.

The animal, known to the forest department as Cherambadi Tusker-16 (CT16), and by locals as “Bullet,” was tranquilised near Ayyankolly in Pandalur on Friday morning. With the help of a kumki elephant, it was loaded onto a waiting truck, from where it is to be released into a heavily forested area away from human habitations, forest officials said.

The elephant was being monitored by the Forest Department for the last one week, as they unsuccessfully attempted to keep the animal away from human habitations. On Thursday morning, after it damaged two more houses in the region, a decision was taken to tranquilise the animal and release it in a different location.

Teams of forest veterinarians and field staff aided by kumki elephants from the Theppakadu elephant camp, tracked the animal using drones and succeeded in tranquilising it on Friday evening.