Coimbatore : Armed with Madras High Court order to capture ‘Chinnathambi,’ the elephant, the forest department on Thursday began its operations to tranquilise it. The elephant was moving around Udumalpet in nearby Tirupur district for the last 10 days.

Chinnathambi was tranquilised and translocated from Thadagam on the city outskirts to Varagaliyar on January 25. Cihinnathambi, however, he returned to human habitat after travelling length and breadth of forests and village and now camping at Kannadiputhur near Udumalpet near a sugarcane field.

The department has requisitioned two kumkis (tamed elephants) to bring the elephant to an open field, department sources said.

In order to attract Chinnathambi, fruits like banana are to be kept in the open and once it reaches the place, it can easily be tranquilised and taken to the truck with the help of an earthmover, they said.

According to the plan, after capturing the elephant will be taken to Top Slip camp, from where it will be tamed and made as a kumki.

Though nearly 40 officials have been deployed for the task, due to unconducive climate., the operations to tranquilise are postponed for tomorrow, they said.