Captured elephant ‘Radhakrishnan’ released in Kalakkad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve

A month after its capture, the O’Valley tusker nicknamed ‘Radhakrishnan’ was released from kraal and returned to the wild in the Kalakkad Mudanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) on Saturday (October 25, 2025) night, the forest department confirmed.

R. Kiruba Shankar, Field Director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), said the elephant, captured from O’Valley in Gudalur in September, had been kept inside a kraal (elephant shelter) to exert some behavioural changes to the animal, which was known to be highly aggressive.

“In O’Valley, it was charging at people and attacking, and a decision was made to keep it inside the kraal to calm it down,” said Mr. Kiruba Shankar. He added the forest department had been monitoring the elephant and noticed that its behaviour had altered significantly since its capture.

“There was minimal intervention during the time it was inside the kraal. The forest department was only observing the animal and ensuring that it was feeding,” he added.

Following a month inside the kraal, veterinarians checked on the health of the elephant in the days prior to its release. “Initially, we had thought we would release it within the Nilgiris only. However, as we feared the elephant would try to make its way back to O’Valley, it was decided to release it in KMTR,” added the Field Director.

Attributed deaths

Radhakrishnan, which is believed to have killed five persons during negative human-elephant interactions in O’Valley, is expected to stay away from human habitations in the future due to the interventions by the forest department.

Surveillance

The elephant has been fitted with a radio collar and a team of staff from the forest department will monitor its movements to ensure it doesn’t stray too close to human settlements and to keep tabs on it while it acclimatises to its new environment.