Arikomban damages house, plantain trees in tea estate worker’s quarters (Nalumukku) The Hindu September 19, 2023 See link <https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/arikomban-damages-house-plantain-trees-in-tea-estate-workers-quarters/article67322350.ece>for photo. Radio-collared tusker Arikomban, which was released in Upper Gothaiyar area of the Western Ghats in Kanniyakumari district on June 5 after being tranquillised in Theni district, has entered Nalumukku, a tea estate area of the Western Ghats in Tirunelveli district. After it was released in the dense Upper Gothaiyar area, where food and water for elephants are abundantly available, Arikomban apparently enjoyed the climate of the region and remained calm while roaming around in the adjoining areas. Forest Department officials in Kanniyakumari district, led by District Forest Officer Ilaiyaraja, closely monitored its movement through the radio-collar and its health for over a month through direct sighting by deploying personnel inside the forest. Even though Arikomban did not join a herd which had camped in this region and chose to be alone, it did not enter Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) workers’ quarters in Upper Gothaiyar. The tusker crossed the staff quarters area on Saturday night to reach Nalumukku, which is part of the sprawling tea estates in Manjolai, Kakkachi, Ooththu and Kuthiraivetti areas, all attracting tourists throughout the year with a salubrious climate. After feasting on plantains in the backyard gardens of tea estate worker Soundarya in Nalumukku, Arikomban slightly damaged the tiled roof of the house of another worker, Varadhan of Ooththu, and is now camping between the dense forest areas of Ooththu and Nalumukku. No one was injured in the incident. As Arikomban, triggering panic among the public when it entered the residential areas in Kerala and Theni district, has camped in the forests between Nalumukku and Ooththu, the forest officials of Kalakkad – Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve’s Ambasamudram Division banned tourists from visiting these places while allowing them up to Manimuthar waterfalls. “Arikomban, after visiting the Nalumukku area, camped for a while near the Forest Department guest house at Kuthiraivetti on Monday night. It was spotted near the school at Ooththu on Tuesday. Now, it remains inside the forest during the day and roams around in the night. Reservations done by the tourists at Kuthiraivetti guest house have been cancelled in view of the development,” said S. Senbagapriya, Deputy Director, Ambasamudram Division of KMTR. Even though another elephant herd has camped at Manjolai area, Arikomban, which is in ‘musth’ now, is roaming alone. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/arikomban-damages-house-plantain-trees-in-tea-estate-workers-quarters/article67322350.ece https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/arikomban-sighted-near-densely-populated-tea-estate-in-tn-1.8916964