Officials of the forest department today tranquilised one of the two elephants that were creating panic in and around Pandalur, about 80 kilometres from here. The elephants are suspected to be behind the killing of three people in the area last week.

Following intensified protests from the public due to the increasing incidents of man-animal conflicts, the department brought four Kumkis (tamed elephants) from the Mudumalai camp to trace and capture the stray elephants.

At the sight of the four Kumki elephants, one of the two rogue elephants attacked them. The forest department officials immediately fired tranquilizers at it, but the elephant managed to run into the jungles.

While searching for the elephant, the officials noticed another elephant moving around. It had only one tusk and the other was half broken.

The first department officials suspect that the one-tusked elephant might have attacked the estate workers.