(PTI): A rogue elephant nicknamed "Laden", which had been at large for three years and was blamed for killing 14 people, has been hunted down in Assam's Sonitpur district. "Ever'body run fer yer lives! Laden's comin', an' he's pissed!"
Deputy Forest Officer Chandan Bora on Sunday said, hunter Dwipen Ram Phukan shot the elephant at Behali Tea Estate in the district with the help of villagers.
"Awright, Laden! It's the end o' the road fer you! Go fer yer guns!"
[KERBLAM!... KERBLAM!]
"Aaaarrr! Y'got me, copper!"
The elephant nicknamed after Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden had unleashed a reign of terror in Sonitpur, killing 14 people since 2003 in Monabari, Lhorijan, Gadhonibari and Biswanath Chariali villages.
"Hrarrr! Must... trample... infidels!"
Death warrants were issued against the rogue thrice in 2003, 2004 and 2006, but it had proved as elusive as its namesake.
"Laden? Izzat you?"
"Yeah, it's me, Mumbles!"
"Cheeze! I almost din't recognize yez with that moustache!"
The tuskless male aged between 45 and 50 years was about ten feet in height.
"Aye, lads. He wuz a big 'un, all right!"
The villagers helped in locating and identifying the elusive rogue, whose footprints confirmed that it was the "most wanted" elephant, Bora said.
"There he is, officer!"
"Ummm... You sure that's him? That elephant's got a moustache and the one on the wanted poster..."
"Shoot, you fool! Shoot! He's heeled!"
While the villagers heaved a sigh of relief, several conservationists were up in arms against the killing, saying there was no way to ascertain whether the dead elephant was the rogue. They expressed an apprehension that an innocent elephant may have been the hunter's victim.
| CSI: Assam had the footprints. No two are the same. Case closed. Free shoes, belts, and wallets for the villagers! |