Forests department provides treatment to injured wild elephant in Marayur

Forests department provides treatment to injured wild elephant in Marayur

Forest department successfully treated an injured wild elephant at the Marayur forest division in Idukki on Tuesday. According to department officials, the animal was immobilised before the treatment.

Marayur divisional forest officer (DFO) M.G. Vinod Kumar said normally wild elephants move from Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu to Kanthallur, under Marayur Sandal Division, during the summer months. On May 25, Forest department staff noticed an elephant, part of a four-member herd, moving at a slower pace and away from the herd at Chandramandalam in Kanthallur. On closer monitoring, it was found that the female elephant had a deep injury to its left forelimb. A plastic rope was found entangled in its leg.

“After realising that the injury was life threatening, we sought permission from the chief wildlife warden to provide treatment to the animal,” said the official. After receiving permission from the warden on Monday, a special team was quickly formed for the mission.

Assistant forest veterinary officer Anuraj said it was suspected that the plastic rope that was stuck on its left forelimb resulted in the deep wound. “The injury affected the mobility of the elephant. Puss and maggots were also found on the wound,” he said.

High range circle chief conservator of forests Arun R.S. said the team tranquillized the animal around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, immobilised it, and then provided the treatment.

“The treatment was done in a tusker Arikompan model operation. The wound was around four months old, and if it went without treatment, it would have resulted in the elephant’s death,” said Mr. Arun.

“The female elephant is around 20-years old. The animal remained calm during the treatment, which was completed around 11 a.m. After the procedure, the elephant stood around for one hour in the area and then moved away. A Forest department team will closely monitor the animal’s movements for the next week,” said Mr. Kumar.