Chinna Thambi (elephant)
Chinna Thambi (or Chinnathambi), which means "younger brother" in Tamil, is a kumki elephant from India. Formerly a rogue crop-raider, he was captured by forest officials in Coimbatore south Tamilnadu and translocated to kraal at Varakaliyar elephant camp near Topslip. He escaped and walked more than 100 km (62 mi) back to the place where he had been captured in search of his family.[1] This elephant was both loved and feared by the villagers.[2]
History[edit]
Chinna Thambi (or Chinnathambi) was born in Coimbatore and began raiding and destroying crops there. Based on the public concerns, the elephant was first captured from Thadagam village on 25 January 2019 and translocated to the Topslip tiger reserve. He was released into the Varakaliyaru forest area. However, in search of his family, he started walking back to its earlier territory and went around the Udumalai and Krishnapuram areas, covering over 100 km (62 mi) in three days. The forest department again returned him back to the forest area but he always walked back. Later, he was captured from Sarkar Kannadipur village (near Madathukulam, Tirupur) and shifted to a kraal near Topslip.[3][4][5][6][7]
Kumki[edit]
Chinna Thambi was to be trained as a kumki elephant but a petition was filed in Chennai High court against the conversion.[8] The Tamil Nadu government said he would, instead be released into the forest again and would not be trained as a kumki.[9][10]
However, by 2023, Chinna Thambi (Chinnathambi) was indeed a kumki and it was announced that he would be replacing the retiring kumki extraordinaire Kaleem.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ Thambi, chinna. "Chinna Thambi lodged in kraal at elephant camp". The Times of India. No. 17 February 2019.
- ^ Ramkumar, Pratiksha. "Chinna Thambi, an elephant villagers both love and fear". The Times of India. No. 24 January 2019.
- ^ Kannadasan, Akila (20 March 2019). "The story of how elephant Chinna Thambi was tamed". The Hindu.
- ^ Thomas, Wilson (2 February 2019). "Chinna Thambi to be tamed as a kumki (Tamed Tusker)". The Hindu.
- ^ Thambi, Chinna (6 February 2019). "TN Villagers, Activists Win Freedom for Wild Elephant; Help Reunite Him with Family". The Better India.
- ^ Thomas, Wilson (15 February 2019). "Chinna Thambi caught again, sent to kraal". The Hindu.
- ^ Sangeetha, P. "How Chinna Thambi trundled into the hearts of Coimbatoreans". The Times of India. No. 21 February 2019.
- ^ Vasudevan, Lokpria. "Coimbatore villagers write petition to save wild elephant Chinna Thambi from being tamed as kumki". India Today. No. 4 February 2019.
- ^ Thambi, Chinna. "Chinna Thambi: A wild elephant searching for his family". The Economic Times. No. 5 February 2019.
- ^ "'Chinnathambi' released from kraal after training from camp". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 29 June 2019.
- ^ "Kumki elephant Chinnathambi to step into the shoes of legend Kaleem: With two successful operations under his belt, the rookie elephant is seen as the best option to step into the reputed shoes of the legendary Kaleem, who is stepping down as a kumki after half a century", thehindu.com. Accessed 27 December 2023.