We are hearing that we should save Forest and Animals, but an Elephant in Kerala, India named Arikomban is struggling to all extent to survive. The land and resort mafia had invaded the forest in Chinnakanal a forest place in Kerala which is a homeland for elephants and other animals for the past decades and on 2001 these mafia had cut down the forest with the help of officials and made these animals suffer in hunger and forced them to go out of their habitat in search of Food and Water.

In 2001, some poor people  who have no option to push forward their life were brought into this forest area and Kerala Government officials had given this land to these people to live and named as (301 Colony) without considering the over counter report that's states the fact, this is a homeland for elephants and other wild animals and they (wild animals) are always passing this area daily for drinking water from a natural source (a lake nearby) for decades.

Arikomban is born in this forest before 30 years ago and he lost his mother when he was two years . He stayed with his mother's dead body for days and after a week another herd of elephant had adopted him. Even then for the past 30 years he will visit this spot where he lost his mother and spend days over there for his mother's memories. It highly visible that how sensitive and prompt is this forest for him personally.

Those mafia had cut down the forest which is a natural source of food for these magnificent animals and they planted eucalyptus tree and other commercial plantations for their own profits. This led them to come continuously to the residential areas in search of food and water. As a result, issues has started to arise between residents and these elephants. Eventually in 2017 the first attempt to capture Arikomban had been done and it was a failure. Forest department was using heavy doses (more than 5 shots of tranquilizer Drugs were shot on him at a single time. Luckily he managed himself to escape into the wild and mission was aborted.

Since then these mafia who owning those forest land currently wants to get rid of Arikomban who is the leader of elephant herd. As a result, on 29th of April 2023 Arikomban was captured with even high doses of drugs of six or more doses and forced him cruelly to surrender for translocation. He spend more than 12 hours with hunger and physically it impacted him so badly.

He was released in Periyar Tiger Reserve area and which is near to another State named Tamil Nadu. Arikomban was not in a good state physically and he was so panicked as he has no idea or familarity to the new habitat. He is struggling in search of his own homeland Chinnakanal.

Even though majority of people are standing with Arikomban for his basic rights, the officials are just closing their eyes in favour of some hidden mafia. A small number of media is spreading fake news and claiming that he had killed 8 people without any confirmation  by forest Department of Kerala and nobody had witnessed him killing or hurting anyone. He is wounded so deeply in his trunk and his one eye is with impaired vision, which can be a result of past heavy dosage of tranquilizers he faced.

Currently, the Officials are again planning to use heavy dosage of Drugs (which can lead him to death) on him to capture again and force him to move to Aanakoodu (a training center with harmful and cruel training methods to take control over the elephant and use him for commercial purpose). 

As an animal rights supporter, I strongly stand against causing destruction to animal's natural habitat and forcing them to surrender for our human needs. Therefore, I really request you to intervene immediately to protect Arikomban and other animals in Chinnakanal Forest by signing this petition. 

Thank you for your attention and consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

Darsana Yesudas.

Thanveer Saifudeen Sudhina.