Locals of Chinnakanal in Idukki have claimed that wild tusker Chakkakomban has been getting in the way of humans more frequently since his friend Arikomban was translocated.
The other night, Chakkakomban blocked traffic on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway at Aanayirangal in the Devikulam forest range for nearly an hour.
The tusker destroyed the temporary shed of a wayside eatery in the area. Traffic was resumed after Forest watchers scared the animal away.
Chakkakomban is called so due to his craving for jackfruit, and according to locals, the tusker has been raiding residential areas frequently in search of his favourite snack.
However, Devikulam Range Officer P V Veji said the Forest Department has not noticed anything unusual in the behaviour of Chakkakomban since the translocation of Arikomban.
According to Veji, Chakkakomban had blocked the same road where it was hit by a speeding car on May 23. The tusker had suffered minor injuries on its front leg while the vehicle was damaged on the impact.
The passengers of the car from Rajakkad were also injured in the accident that occurred near a bend on the road at Choondal near Poopara, nearly 10 km away from Aanayirangal.