Kalpetta, First Published Dec 15, 2021, 8:33 PM IST
Sultanbatheri: In Kurukkanmoola, the forest department has finally released the Elephants to cage the tiger that has been terrorizing the population. Two tigers have been deployed to find the tiger, which once kept the people of Wayanad at bay. Kallur Kompane and Vadakkanad Kompane were brought for the mission at Kurukkanmoola from yesterday. But the past of these two elephants once shook the people of Wayanad. Until 2016, ‘Kallur Kompan’ was a hero who cast a shadow over the lives of Kallur and Nenmeni residents. Kallur Kompan was a local name for its elongated horns, head and aggression. Kallur Kompan was included in the ‘hit list’ of the forest department after he regularly visited the settlements and terrorized and attacked the farmer at Kallur 67.
He was arrested on November 22, 2016 in Kallur-67 forest area in connection with a public protest. The elephant was named Bharathan by the authorities. Kallur Kompan, who has been doing well for two years, was released in 2018 as Kunkiana. Initially, the decision was taken to open the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, but in 2017, the attempt was abandoned due to strong opposition from the people in Muthalamada, Parambikulam and Anamalai. An expert committee was appointed to look into the possibility of returning to the natural habitat, but the committee recommended that it be re-opened in the wild and that it be relocated to a semi-forested habitat or converted to kunkiana. That’s how the decision to train as a kunkiana was made.
After the Kallur horn, the horn from the northern forest shook the country. The forest department took the decision to arrest Vadakkad Kompan, who is more aggressive than Kallur Kompan, after he claimed many lives. Finally, in the morning of March 2019, Dr. Arun Zachariah fell into a trance. The killing of two people, one after the other, including a child, was the reason for the decision to capture the northern horn immediately. The northern horn was also nesting near the hut where the Kallur horn was housed. Years later, the mission of the two elephants to help humans was viewed with curiosity and relief by many, including forest officials.
Last Updated Dec 15, 2021, 8:33 PM IST
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