Coimbatore : Problem elephant Vinayakan who was tranquilised early morning today was radio collared at the Thadagam Valley at the foothills of the Western Ghats here.
Coimbatore : Problem elephant Vinayakan who was tranquilised early morning today was radio collared at the Thadagam Valley at the foothills of the Western Ghats here.
It took almost nine hours for the veterinary team and experts to fix the radio collar around Vinayakan’s neck.
The elephant was darted twice around 6.30 am and 7.30 am respectively and was administered a 11 ml sedation of Xylaxene and Ketamine combination. An additional mild sedation of the same combination was later given to bring the elephant under control
It took an even longer while for the team to successfully collar the animal, after it was shifted to a lorry with the help of two other Kumkis and earth movers.
Being a GPS collar, it could help to monitor the movement of the elephant from a long distance.
According to Deepak Srivastava, Chief Conservator of Forests of Coimbatore Circle, "The elephant would be released in a forest patch connecting Bandipur, Mudumalai and Wayanad, later today".
Kumkis Vijay and Wasim are working with mahouts and experts to move the tranquilised male elephant into the truck.