Elephant's Survival In The Wild Dispels All The Worries And Fears

Elephant Rivaldo appears to have put to rest all doubters about his ability to survive in the wild. His relationships with other wild elephants are normal, and he has made significant progress in accessing natural habitats away from communities near Masinagudi in the Nilgiris district's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), according to the elephant's monitors. The elephant was fitted with a radio collar and released into the wild at the Chikkala anti-poaching camp in MTR on August 9 after spending nearly three months in the kraal at Vazhaithottam. The tusker has been tracked since then using signals from the radio collar.

The 35-year-old tusker was lured into a 'kraal' by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department using fruits to keep him from mingling with humans after he began eating fruits supplied to him by locals rather than graze on his own.

On January 19, officials have been continuously monitoring Rivaldo to prevent any unforeseen situations, especially since 40-year-old wild elephant dubbed SI was gravely hurt after somebody hurled a burning rag on his ear, and eventually died in the MTR.

When Rivaldo was released back into the wild, there were many questions about his destiny. It was also questioned whether he could survive if he wasn't fed by humans.

MTR field director D Venkatesh said that they have been keeping a close eye on the elephant as his feeding and resting habits, as well as his relationships with other wild elephants, are all perfectly normal. Furthermore, by moving away from the villages, the animal has expanded his habitat usage. In September and October, Rivaldo went north of the Sigur River, making great use of the Mavanhalla River. He visited the foothills of the Kalhatti mountains, north of the Sigur River, for the first time. Rivaldo's home range is expanding every month, according to the field director, who noted that he is now grazing at Maavanalla and Vaalaithottam woodland.

Meanwhile, he said that in August, his natural habitat's home range area was 7.11 sq km. In September and October, it grew to 10.12 sq km, and once the northeast monsoon arrives, it will grow even more.