A wild ‘killer elephant’ shakes southern India.
Now Arikomban, as he is called, has been forcibly moved to a tiger reserve.
“His life was in danger because everyone hated him,” says the animal activist Sreedevi S Kartha of People for Animals.
The elephant was a familiar face in India’s Idukki area, where it is believed to have lived for over 30 years.
Arikomban’s name means “rice biter” in the local language and refers to his many raids on local shops to steal rice.
But now Arikomban is forced to move – at the request of the local population. He has killed seven people, local authorities claim.
“Didn’t kill anyone”
But the activist group People for Animals is not so sure.
“During our investigation in the area, the tribal people said that Arikomban had not killed anyone,” says animal activist Sreedevi S Kartha.
Despite the activists’ attempts to persuade the authorities that Arikomban was innocent, the elephant was forcibly relocated this weekend. 150 men were required for the two-day operation.
The elephant’s new home is spelled the Periyar Tiger Reserve, which is about 80 kilometers from the Idukki area. Authorities worried about the reactions of the new locals – but Arikomban was welcomed with cheers.