Coimbatore : A rogue elephant, fondly called Chinnathambi and translocated from Thadagam here to Varagaliyar, completed its 132-day training and came out of the kraal in Anamalai Tiger Reserve.

Though the elephant had earlier been frequenting and raiding crop in and around Thadagam on the outskirts, the villagers never wanted Chinnathambi to be captured. However, forest officials, bowing to the pressure from ‘some vested interests’ captured it on January 16 after six months of efforts and took it to the Varagaliyar camp.

Based on a petition, Madras High Court ordered to place it in the camp.

Even after radio collaring and being taken to Varagaliyar, the elephant moved around Udumalpet in Tirupur district and camped in a sugarcane field, travelling nearly 110 km.

After being recaptured, it was put in a kraal and given five months training and was released on Friday evening. It is under strict vigil and its movement with other elephants in the camp will be monitored for a week.

It was likely to be shifted to another elephant camp in Kozhikamudhi in the Reserve, where nearly 20 elephants were there, forest department sources said on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Chinnathambi was given basic training and also to obey orders from mahouts and “he has completed it successfully”, the source said.