Coimbatore: John, a 35-year-old male elephant from Mudumalai forest, was brought to the Chadivayal elephant camp in Coimbatore district on Saturday, raising the number of elephants in the camp to three.Boluvampatti forest range officer K Jayachandran said the other two elephants were brought to the camp on February 25. John will be used to drive back wild elephants that enter residential areas along the Boluvampatti forest range and in the Coimbatore forest division. As per the instructions from the chief conservator of forests and the field director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, D Venkatesh, more elephants will be brought to the camp in the near future.The Chadivayal elephant camp was set up at a cost of Rs 8 crore. It has 18 sheds for captive elephants, 18 houses for mahouts, a natural pond, a shower area, and facilities for food preparation and serving. Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the camp on December 30, 2025.
