Itanagar, Apr 2: Arunachal Pradesh Forest and Environment Minister Wangki Lowang on Thursday informed that the rogue elephant responsible for multiple human casualties in Tirap district has been successfully identified and captured with the assistance of an expert team from the Karnataka Forest Department.
The minister said the operation was made possible due to the expertise and coordinated efforts of the visiting team. He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Pema Khandu for extending prompt support in facilitating the mission.
Lowang also appreciated the efforts of the state forest officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), the Chief Wildlife Warden, and the CCF (Wildlife), along with their teams for ensuring the success of the operation.
It is worth-mentioning that a 12-member expert team from Karnataka had arrived in Deomali in Tirap district on March 30 to track and capture the elephant, which had been linked to several fatal incidents over the past two years.
The team was led by Ramesha H, a senior veterinary officer and elephant specialist, and included experts in tranquilisation, wildlife monitoring, and trained mahouts from elephant camps in Karnataka. Advanced methods such as the use of kumki elephants and thermal drones were deployed for effective tracking and safe capture.
Officials said the intensified operation was launched following a series of tragic incidents in the Deomali area, including the killing of former legislator Kapchen Rajkumar in July 2025, which had heightened concerns over human-elephant conflict in the region.