Foreigner fasts for elephant8217;s custody

Loki, a 40-year-old male elephant, is under the care of forest officials in the Mudumalai elephant camp. The forest officials, recounting the notorious case history of this rogue elephant8217;, state that the Kerala forest officials had orders to shoot down this animal 8220;which escaped by migrating to the Tamil Nadu forest8221;. It has killed about 22 persons 8211; 10 in Kerala and the rest in Tamil Nadu 8211; and destroyed fields to earn the titles rogue8217; and field raider8217;. When Loki the forest officials call it Murthy after the famous elephant specialist V Krishnamurthy entered the Tamil Nadu range, itplayed havoc in and around Gudalur.

The residents and planters of this town near Ooty, staged demonstrations in front of the forest departments demanding the capture of the animal or let them shoot it down8217;. 8220;It used to enter deep woods during the day and raid villages at night only to ruin the crops and mow down any one who dared cross his path.

Deanna, who has been with the elephant since four months, counters this saying the treatment is not up to the mark and even alleges cruelty towards the animal.