Operation ‘Tusker’ made successful by experts

Rourkela: The operation ‘Tusker’ which was planned to tranquilize the rogue tusker was made successful by a team of wildlife experts yesterday near Sanpatrapalli jungle under Ujjalpur forest division.

The experts tranquilized the rogue tusker, which had spread havoc in Balishankara and Subdega block of the Sundargarh district killing at least seven persons in the last 15 days.

In the operation, plan was made by constituting a team of officials to tranquilize the rogue tusker on locating him near Sanpatrapalli hills after moving about 7-8 km into Athakosia reserve forest. Three tranquilizers were made into target at the tusker to make him to unconsciousness. Then the tusker was tied to a tree in the forest and its tusks were trimmed as a part of preventive measure, as per sources.

According to Arjun Behera, DFO, Sundargarh, for this operation two kunki elephants, one ‘Jasoda’, a female elephant from Chandaka- Damapada and another ‘Sobha’ from Similipal was put into service. A team of officials lead by Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Debabrata Swain from Bhubaneswar along with other officials like Local CCF Subhash Chandra Swain, Additional Director, Nandankanan Kamalalochan Purohit, Dipen Kalita from Assam, Sundargarh Ranger Gauranga Charan Sahu, Ujjalpur Ranger Deepak Kumar Pujari were in the operation.

Though it was late yesterday in carrying out the operation, the operated tusker will be placed to the safer place within two days of time from the jungle. The trained kunki elephants were kept in Thelkobud farm house, Sundargarh, informed Behera.

Locals heaved a sigh of relief following the success of the operation. The district administration had shifted about 100 families of Balishankara and Subdega block to a school premises to protect them from the elephant attack.