‘Muttikkomban’ captured in Kerala’s Wayanad after weeks of farmer complaints

A wild elephant popularly known as “Muttikkomban” was captured by the Kerala Forest Department in Wayanad district on Friday after weeks of crop raids and repeated intrusions into villages, officials said.

The elephant, officially identified as TT-1 , had been frequently entering farmlands in the Vadakkanad and Valluvadi areas , damaging crops and breaking solar fences, causing panic among residents. Forest officials said repeated attempts to drive the animal back into the forest had failed, prompting authorities to order a capture operation.

Public anger intensified after a 37-year-old farmer, Kadangath Naduveettil Rejeev , was killed in an elephant attack in early March near Vadakkanad while trying to drive the animal away from his farm. The incident triggered protests by villagers who demanded immediate action from the authorities.

Following the incident, the chief wildlife warden authorised a special mission to track and capture the tusker. A large forest department team, including around 80 personnel and trained kumki elephants , monitored the animal’s movements for nearly two weeks in the Thathur forest section before launching the final operation.

On Friday morning, a veterinary team led by Dr Arun Zachariah successfully tranquilised the elephant after locating it in the forest. Officials said the tusker had sustained an injury to its trunk , which likely made it difficult for the animal to feed in the wild and pushed it towards nearby farms in search of food.

The elephant was later shifted to a specially prepared enclosure at the Muthanga elephant camp , where veterinarians will treat the injury and monitor its recovery. Authorities plan to fit a radio collar to track the animal’s movements before deciding on its relocation away from human settlements.

The operation also drew legal scrutiny, with a Public Interest Litigation filed in the Kerala High Court questioning the decision to capture the tusker. The forest department told the court that there is no plan to keep the elephant in permanent captivity , and that relocation will be considered once its health improves.

The elephant had reportedly been a frequent crop raider for years , often breaching electric fences and venturing into farms at night, making it one of the most feared wild tuskers in the region.