On Friday, CME3 and another elephant had entered the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, making it the first wild tusker sighting there after more than 50 years. For the past one year, CME3 has been covering territories which no other elephant did, said a conservationist
CME3 was seen in Gadchiroli last week.
CME3, a tusker that crossed over from Chhattisgarh into the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra earlier this month with another elephant, was sighted near a village close to Saoli Range in Chandrapur district on Thursday, a source from the Maharashtra forest department told mid-day.com.
On Friday, both the elephants entered the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), making it the first wild elephant sighting there after more than 50 years.
Wildlife Conservationist Sagnik Sengupta, who is also the co-founder of NGO Stripes and Green Earth (SAGE) Foundation, told mid-day.com that on Friday, ME3 was sighted in the Kolsa Range of TATR, close to Pangadi Gate. Sengupta also pointed out that for the past one year, CME3 has been covering new territories, which neither he nor any other elephants did. Last year, the tusker had reached up to Kagaznagar in Telangana.
"Since 2024, I have been keeping track of CME3 and it is evident that as he explores nature, he can move to any area without leaving a trace for anyone. Last year, it explored up to Kagaznagar in Telangana and this time the tusker entered the core of Tadoba. Since its entry to Maharashtra on the morning of May 4, it was seen on and off at places, and a couple of days ago, the elephant was seen inside the Gadchiroli town. Though he has caused seven human fatalities, all were chance killings and none deliberate. Even videos show that if he is not disturbed, he will not cause any damage," Sengupta further stated.
According to the conservationist, considering the vegetation and availability of water in Tadoba, there are chances that the tusker may stay at the reserve for a few days, but it will definitely return to Gadchiroli and Chattisgarh.
"As wild elephants are a new species in the TATR landscape, and given the high tourism, any over-adventurous behaviour by gypsies should be avoided, as it could lead to an unfortunate incident. Monitoring and advising people to maintain distance is now a priority," added Sengupta.
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