Encounter elephant, rogue elephant, atrocious tusker – these are the names given to the tusker ‘Komban’ the hero behind the ‘Madukkarai Maharaj’ operation. But for the residents of Arivoli Nagar, 20-year-old Komban is a gentle giant who has done no harm.

“We call him Komban. We have been here for the last 20 years and have never seen an elephant like him. He is the master of the jungle. He has never harmed anyone till recently,” said a resident.

Komban has now become a frequent ‘guest’ of the hamlet, Arivoli Nagar, situated in the forest fringes. The location makes it easy for the elephants to frequent the area in search of water. “We have seen elephants very often in front of our doors. We are used to such visitors,” he added.

Not very long ago, a small herd made its way through the compound wall of a coconut grove. Though several other pachyderm visit frequently Komban has become a part of the inhabitants.

Though he has killed a few and hurt many, not all villagers hate him. Senthil Kumar, a mason claimed that the slain victims had provoked Komban to the core. “The tusker never harmed anybody till it was provoked. One victim was trying to chase him and the other one walked right in front of him in an inebriated condition,” he says.

However the kin of the victims want Komban captured at any cost. The locals who love him want him to be trans located deep in the jungles where they can roam around freely,” they say.

“Elephants have been here for many years. But they strayed into the human habitat as the water in the jungles dried up and when their space was encroached by humans. There are over five broken check dams that could have helped in water storage had it been maintained properly,” says Babu.

The locals blame the increasing construction activity near the forest fringes for all that has been happening now.

“A compound wall was constructed around the coconut grove. Every time the elephants damaged it, another wall was constructed. Continuous construction work near the grove and in other areas have forced them to tresspass,” says Mariappan another resident.

Meanwhile a forest official told Covai Post that the elephant would be captured soon and tamed as it had done a lot of damage. “The situation is very risky now for both man and the animal. We have all the evidence the prove the same,” he says.

But for the residents Komban is a clever gentle giant, who “will definitely escape and live freely”.