Trending News: Anamalai Kaleem, a legendary trained elephant or kumki of the Tamil Nadu forest department, has retired at the age of 60 after leading 99 successful operations to capture or chase away wild elephants. He was given a guard of honour by five forest rangers and other elephants at the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp to mark his retirement.
Kaleem's mahout of 25 years, Mani, said that capturing a wild tusker named Karuppan was to be Kaleem's 100th operation, but the elephant disappeared into the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.
State environment secretary Supriya Sahu tweeted a video showing Kaleem's retirement, saying that he is a legend and that people’s hearts are full of gratitude for his service. The clip has gone viral with over 161k views and 9,300 likes. "Our eyes are wet and hearts are full with gratitude as Kaleem the iconic Kumki elephant of the Kozhiamuttthi elephant camp in Tamil Nadu retired today at the age of 60. Involved in 99 rescue operations he is a legend. He received a guard of honour from #TNForest #Kaleem," the IAS officer tweeted.
Watch the viral video of elephant Kaleem's retirement here:
Kaleem was captured from the STR in December 1972 and was trained by his mahout, Palanisamy, at the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp. After Palanisamy's demise, his nephew Mani became Kaleem's mahout. Though not as tall as other kumkis, Kaleem has a long body and weighs almost five tonnes. He is known for his strength and fearlessness, with Mani praising him for his ability to handle all situations smoothly, even during the masth period when elephants become aggressive.
Kaleem has been a part of operations not just in Tamil Nadu but also in neighbouring states like Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal. His retirement marks the end of a remarkable career that has spanned over five decades. Despite the emotional farewell, Kaleem's contribution to the protection of wildlife will always be remembered.
