Dhoni unconscious inside the jungle on January 22, 2023 PT-7 Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
On the trail of a rogue elephant codenamed Palakkad Tusker-7 (PT-7), a forest team resumed its operation to capture the wild elephant on Sunday morning. The team, led by Chief Forest Veterinary Officer Arun Zakaria, traced PT-7 about 4 km inside the forest at Korma between Dhoni and Mundur and shot it with tranquilizer darts at around 7.15 am.
The elephant was brought unconscious at 8 am and efforts began to take it in a lorry. The lorry was brought to the area where PT-7 was tranquilised, clearing the way with the help of an earth mover.
Forest Minister AK Saseendran congratulated the forest officials for locating and locating PT-7, which had become a menace to Dhoni, Akatthethara, Malampuzha and Puthuppariaram panchayats.
Mr. Saseendran said the first phase of the operation with tranquilizer darting was successful. “However, the next two phases are also important. The tusker has to be brought in a lorry to Dhoni, where a kraal has been set up. Then it has to be kept in the kraal with the help of three kumki elephants,” said the minister.
The news of the tranquilizer shot sent a wave of joy among the people of Dhoni and surrounding areas as they are living in terror due to frequent raids by PT-7 in the last two years.
After the pressure of the people, the forest department decided to catch PT-7. According to forest officials, the elephant was out of the forest for more than 180 days in the last one year and destroyed farms in several areas. Acting like a leader, PT-7, possibly 20 years old, also attracted other elephants in his frequent raids.
PT-7 was suspected to be the elephant that trampled to death a 60-year-old man who was out on his morning walk with his friends in Dhoni in July last year. “PT-7 was responsible for over 90 percent of the elephant conflicts in the region,” Dr. Zakariah said.
Though the operation to capture PT-7 began on Saturday morning, the elephant escaped from the forest team by retreating deep into the forest. Upon sensing the presence of three kumki elephants, PT-7 Dhoni went into a steep area of the forest, making it difficult for Dr. Zakaria and the team to run fast on him. The team suspended its operation around 3 pm on Saturday and resumed it on Sunday morning.
Though the forest department had planned to capture PT-7 and shift it to Wayanad, the idea was dropped in view of the risk involved in transporting the elephant under sedation. The kraal set up in Muthanga was used to detain Makhana, a criminal who was caught in Wayanad a few weeks ago.
A few days ago, a new kraal of 18 feet height and 15 feet width and length was erected at Dhoni’s place to install PT-7. More than seven dozen eucalyptus trees were cut to make the kraal. With a six-foot-deep foundation, the kraal is designed not only to withstand the wrath of a wild elephant, but also to protect the animal from getting injured.
The Forest Department chose Eucalyptus for the kraal because of its availability and its compressive strength. Heavy logs of kambakam (Hopia parviflora) were traditionally used to build kraals in the country. The shortage of kambakam, popularly known as ironwood of Malabar, has prompted the forest department to find a substitute for eucalyptus.
Unlike kambakam, eucalyptus also does not break under heavy impact. Due to its compressive properties, Eucalyptus protects the wild elephant from getting injured when it hits the kraal. If it is teak or any other hard wood, the tusker will be injured.