In accordance with the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act-1973, the District Administration Office, Chitwan had decided to kill the tusker if found to be mad. The Act permits the authorities to kill mad elephants that kill people and destroy properties.[break]
After tranquilizing the tusker, the team removed one of the elephant´s tusk and fitted a radio tracking device around its neck, said Chief Conservation Officer of CNP Jhamak Bahadur Karki.
“The device will help trace every movement of the tusker after being released. If the tusker will still demonstrate erratic behavior, we will confine it,” said Karki.
According to a source at CNP, the tusker has killed five persons so far.
“Currently, our team is trying to find out whether the tusker is suffering from mental illness,” said Chief District Officer Him Nath Dawadi.
Dr Kamal Gaire, who has been studying wildlife at CNP for several years now, said that electric fences round the national park have not deterred the wild animals from entering human settlements.
According to CNP, wild tuskers of CNP have claimed 13 lives in the last two years alone. The captured tusker has been named Dhurba.
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