Chennai, Aug 3 (IANS): For the first time in Tamil Nadu, a captured wild elephant was freed into the forests, an official statement said.

The wild elephant, called Rivaldo by the locals, was caught by the Forest Department personnel on May 5, 2021 as it was roaming in Masinagudi in Nilgiri district for a long period.

The locals were afraid of the 30-40 year old wild elephant roaming around freely in their area and hence the Forest Department captured it and put it in a 'kraal' - a enclosure made of wooden logs for keeping captured elephants.

An official group studied in detail the issues involved in letting the elephant back into the forests and brought Rivaldo to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.

According to the government, the area is rich in green cover and would provide sufficient food for Rivaldo.

In order to monitor its movement, a German-made radio collar has been put on Rivaldo.

As per the signals received, the elephant is moving around freely in the forest.