Tirupur: A day after the Madras high court permitted the state government to capture crop-raiding wild elephant Chinna Thambi, the forest department conducted preparatory works on Thursday, planning to conduct the operation today “We are planning to capture Chinna Thambi on Friday. It took a day to prepare for the operation. A three-member veterinarian team, along with more than 100 forest personnel, will participate in the operation. Sathyamangalam tiger reserve surgeon Dr K Asokan will lead the veterinarian team. We will drive the tusker to an open farm and capture it,” a senior forest department official told TOI.A division bench of justice S Manikumar and justice Subramonium Prasad had directed the department not to cause physical discomfort to the animal during the capture. Adequate measures should be made for its safe transport. Also, no damages should be done to the agriculture field.Chinna Thambi is staying in a private sugarcane field at Sarkar Kannadipudur in Madathukulam. Since the terrain was uneven and wet, it took time to find an appropriate place to tranquillise the 25-year-old elephant, department sources said. The authorities took steps to clear and strengthen the path for the truck that will transport the animal.“It is important that the elephant is in a good position to be shot with the tranquiliser. Moreover, there should not be any pit or water source where the operation is executed. All these factors have to be taken into account,” an official said.The department plans to shift Chinna Thambi to the Varakaliyur Elephant Camp.

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