Chennai, Nov 28 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu forest department is continuing its search for an elusive wild elephant, which was responsible for destroying houses in recent days.

Four teams have been deployed for the search operation.

As the tusker, identified as Pandalur makhna 2 (PM 2), was seen moving with the herd of elephants at the forest area bordering Kerala, it has become hard for the teams to isolate and tranquilize it.

The teams have installed camera traps to identify the exact movement of the elephant and its utilization of the forest area.

The elephant has destroyed several houses in Gudalur and Pandalur areas of Tamil Nadu, while a woman was also killed when the debris of one of the houses fell on her.

Following the death, the forest department in a high-level meeting decided to capture the elephant and constituted the special teams.

A department official told IANS: "We are on the right track and the elephant will be captured soon. Once it is captured, the tusker will be transferred deep into the Madumalai Tiger Reserve."

Local people in Gudalur and Pandalur are worried over another attack by the elephant.

Sasidharan, a shop owner in Pandalur, told IANS: "The elephant destroys houses when it comes in search of food and we are worried about this. We urge the forest department to capture the elephant as early as possible and relocate it to deep forest so that we are relieved of the trouble."