India captures notorious 'rice-crazed' elephant that killed 6 people

Indian forestry officials relocate the elephant Arikomban on April 29.

AFP reported that Indian forest officials on April 29 tranquilized and captured a wild male elephant about 30 years old named Arikomban. This elephant has killed at least 6 people.

Arikomban, a tusker-wielding elephant, is known for its love of rice and has been known to raid rice and grain stores in the southern Indian state of Kerala. According to the Indian Express , 150 forest officials were deployed to contain Arikomban. The elephant continued to resist even after being shot with five tranquilizers.

They tied Arikomban's legs and blindfolded him with cloth. Finally, he was loaded into a truck by four kumki elephants - elephants trained specifically to capture other elephants.

Arikomban was then fitted with a GPS collar and taken to a wildlife sanctuary.

This is not the first time Indian officials have tried to capture the famous elephant. Arikomban was tranquilized in 2017, but managed to escape.

According to the Indian Express , forest officials last month planned to set up a fake rice shop to lure the Arikomban elephants. However, a court blocked the plan.

Conservationists say the rapid expansion of human settlements around important forests and wildlife corridors is responsible for increasing human-animal conflict in parts of India.

The Indian government says the country is home to more than 60% of wild Asian elephants. According to the last census in 2017, India had a recorded elephant population of 29,964.

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