This video shows Ramlal, an elephant, breaking into an FCI godown and eating rice in Kalsi Bhanga, a village in West Bengal’s Medinipur area.
Elephant videos have always acquired popularity on social media. A video of an elephant breaking the shutter of a storage facility, dragging a gunny sack out, and eating what looks to be rice has gone viral on social media. The users who share the video claims that the elephant is Arikomban, a well-known elephant from Kerala who loves rice.
Arikomban (rice tusker) is an elephant of Kerala was a constant threat to the population adjacent to the Idukki Chinnakanal Forest area for his raids on local shops for rice. Arikomban is an elephant of Kerala was a constant threat to the population adjacent to the Idukki Chinnakanal Forest area. Following the people’s agitation, the state forest department transported the animal to the Mundanthurai border forest region of Tamil Nadu after a days-long mission with the help of other elephants and tranquilizer. At present, this elephant lives in this forest. The latest news reports are that with the help of a radio collar, the movement of the elephant is being accurately tracked in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
But now here is Arikomban attacking FCI godown and taking rice which is being widely circulated in social media. The video shows is that the animal walks into the godown area during the day, breaks the shutter, takes out the sieve and eats the rice.
The captions along with the video states, “his lone, wild tusker is the famous “Ari Komban” of Kerala, meaning rice tusk-er. He had taken liking for rice supplied under PDS and used to raid ration shops to eat sacks of rice . From his usual haunts in High Range villages in Kerala he was relocated to Tamil Nadu forests in a costly (but largely futile) operation. With in an year or so he was back to his old areas which was more than 30 kms away . Now he is seen nonchalantly raiding an FCI godown for his favourite sack of rice! Watch how easily he pulls down a locked steel shutter and the slick way he opens the rice sack that he gets out of the godown”.
But this video raises some doubts. So, let’s check the truth
Fact Check-
A reverse image search on the keyframes of the video led us to a report published by Ananda Bazar Patrika on 29 March, 2024. The report carried a similar visual from the video. The report states, Ramlal entered the Food Corporation warehouse in Medinipur Sadar Block in West Bengal in search of food last day. In the viral video, it is seen that Ramlal broke the iron rolling shutter effortlessly with his trunk. The report further adds that, “Ramlal is well-known in the Jangalmahal area—sometimes in the backyard of a household, sometimes drinking water from a bucket in front of a drinking water tap or stopping a truck on the national highway to eat rice. Ramlal usually roams freely in the forest of Jhargram. On Friday morning, that same Ramlal was seen in Lasibhanga in the Chandra range of West Medinipur. After breaking into the warehouse of Food Corporation (FCI) and eating the stored rice, Ramlal went back to the forest”.
We also found a report by News 18 Bangla, published on 29 March 2024, titled “Elephant Attack: What Rules Again! ‘Don’ Ramlal breaks the shutter.” It featured the viral video and stated, “Ramlal broke the shutter of FCI’s godown and took out 1 sack of rice. Hundreds of enthusiastic people enjoyed the scene.” According to the report, Ramlal broke the gate of the FCI godown in Shalbani area of village Kalsi Bhanga and entered. The employees and locals tried to chase away, but Ramlal entered godown, broke the shutter and took the rice and ate it. Ramlal, which regularly descends in populated areas in search of food, has not yet committed violence against people or domestic animals.
Conclusion
Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be Misleading. The viral video shows Ramlal, an elephant, breaking into an FCI godown and eating rice in Kalsi Bhanga, a village in West Bengal’s Medinipur area not in Kerala.
Title:Elephant ransacking FCI godown is not Arikomban, and the video is from West Bengal, notKerala.
Written By: Usha ManojResult: Misleading
