Stage set for capture of PT-7 as darting team is set to begin operation today

A 26-member team of the Forest department led by Chief Veterinary Officer Arun Zachariah will launch the operation to capture the elephant on Saturday morning.

The stage is set for the confinement of the rogue elephant codenamed PT-7 (Palakkad Tusker-7), which has been terrorising residents of Dhoni and neighbouring areas for the last two years. A 26-member team of the Forest department led by Chief Veterinary Officer Arun Zachariah will launch the operation to capture the elephant on Saturday morning.

The Forest authorities finalised their plans here on Friday, and said that everything was set for the capture of PT-7. The team led by Dr. Zachariah reached Dhoni from Wayanad. Three kumki elephants were also brought in from Wayanad.

A tracking team will go after PT-7 around 5 a.m. on Saturday, followed by the darting team of Dr. Zachariah. Forest officials said that they would not wait for the opportune moment to dart the tusker. “Most probably, we will do a surprise darting. We cannot dart the elephant by chasing it,” said Dr. Zachariah.

Once the tracking team finds the elephant, Dr. Zachariah and his colleagues will dart it with tranquilizer. According to experts, darting can be done within a range of 50 metres.

The medium-sized PT-7, according to vets, will take about half an hour to come under sedation. Once tranquilized, kumkis will be used to push the tusker into a lorry.

It will then be brought to the new kraal set up at Dhoni. It will be the duty of the kumkis to bring PT-7 out of the lorry, and push it into the kraal. Until its total confinement, PT-7 will be under anesthesia.

“The bull will be under surveillance throughout the operation. We may have to top up the tranquilizer until the elephant is placed in the kraal made of eucalyptus logs,” said Dr. Zachariah.