COIMBATORE: Two elephants were brought to the recently inaugurated Chadivayal elephant camp in the Boluvampatti forest range in Coimbatore district on Wednesday night.A 24-year-old tusker named Muthu, a wild elephant later made captive, and a 17-year-old female elephant named Cauvery were brought from the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Ulanthy forest range of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR). They were transported on forest department trucks.Muthu was earlier nicknamed ‘Arisi Raja’ by locals because it was attracted to rice. The tusker was captured from Arthanaripalayam near Pollachi on Nov 14, 2019, after it killed four people, including an eight-year-old girl. Cauvery was also a wild elephant before it was captured from Tiruvannamalai district in 2013. Both the elephants were kept and maintained at the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in ATR.Boluvampatti forest range officer K Jayachandran said two elephants had been brought to the camp thus far. He said stationing ‘kumki’ elephants at the camp was important because the Boluvampatti range is known for frequent visits by wild elephants. He said Muthu would be used to drive back wild elephants that stray into residential areas and agricultural fields. Cauvery would not be used for such operations.
He added that more elephants would be brought to the camp based on instructions from the chief conservator of forests and ATR field director D Venkatesh. He said a decision on allowing tourists to visit the camp had not yet been taken.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 Dec 30, 2025.
