After two weeks of terror in Assam, elephant that killed five captured

india

Updated: Nov 12, 2019 03:48 IST

Nearly two weeks after it created terror in lower Assam’s Goalpara district by killing five persons in a day, a wild elephant named Laden by locals (after Osama bin Laden) was tranquilised and captured on Monday.

The operation, which included a legislator from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lasted just around 30 minutes and ended with the adult male pachyderm, believed to be around 25 years old, being captured inside a reserve forest.

Efforts are now underway to transfer the pachyderm to a bigger reserve forest . “Our operation started at 11 am and ended after 30 minutes in Kanyakuchi reserve forest when the pachyderm was administered two tranquiliser shots and captured using ropes,” said Akashdeep Baruah, chief conservator of forest (lower Assam).

On October 29, the elephant killed five people in Goalpara in separate incidents leading to an order by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to capture it. Forest officials said the elephant was in a state of “musth”, a condition in adult male elephants when there is a rise in testosterone, leading it to become aggressive and attack humans.

Soon after the deaths, locals named the elephant Laden—a name commonly given to rogue elephants which target humans in the state, starting with one that killed around a dozen in 2006, and inspired by the Al Qaeda terrorist —and blocked roads, asking for it to be captured. The forest department used drones to locate the elephant. Monday’s operation involved six “kunkis”—domesticated elephants used to capture wild ones. At Sonowal’s request, Padma Hazarika, MLA from Sootea in upper Assam, who is also an expert elephant trapper and trainer, joined the operation last week with his elephant Ramu.

On Monday, when the team moved inside the reserve forest and traced Laden, the wild elephant rushed to attack the domesticated elephants.

“My cousin who also took part in the operation fired the first tranquilizer shot and I fired the second one after consulting veterinarians. After than we were able to capture (the elephant)” said Hazarika.

Lauding Hazarika’s efforts, CM Sonowal said: “Hazarika’s feat in capturing the wild elephant is highly praiseworthy. As a true public representative, the Sootea MLA offered his help to the forest department to provide succour to the people who were living under the constant fear of attack...”