The Forest Department tranquillized the wild elephant nicknamed Arisi Raja aka Saapattu Raman near Pollachi in Coimbatore in the early hours of Thursday.
The elephant was tranquillized from a forest periphery at Arthanaripalayam. An official involved in the operation said that two darts were shot at the elephant and efforts were being made to capture the animal.
The elephant has so far killed three persons from Navamalai and Arthanaripalayam.
On Wednesday, forest veterinary surgeons from Hosur, Theni and Coimbatore, and a retired forest veterinary officer were positioned at four locations in forest peripheries to dart the elephant, expecting its entry into human habitations of Arthanaripalayam near Pollachi.
According to a senior Forest official, the elephant’s movement was very unpredictable, based on which multiple veterinarians were posted at four probable locations.
The operation to capture the elephant started on Sunday.
The elephant earned the nicknames for its habit of raiding houses and shops for soft food, cooked rice or even raw rice.
While the elephant killed two persons from Navamalai near Aliyar in May, it killed a third person from Arthanaripalayam on November 9.
Meanwhile, Forest officials on Wednesday sent back one of the two kumkis (trained elephants) brought for the operation to the elephant camp at Topslip. Kumki Paari was sent to the camp after it showed signs of musth.
Paari was replaced by another kumki, Kapildev.
