The men who shaped Murthy, the elephant at Mudumalai that passed away recently

Remembering the people who cared for Murthy, the gentlest elephant at Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai

It is easy to earn an elephant’s affection. If you put in some effort, like the late veterinarian Dr V Krishnamurthy did, they would go out of their way to express their love. P R Mani, who worked with Dr K, as he is popularly known, for 26 years, remembers: “The moment he stepped out of his car and into the camp, all the elephants would raise their trunks in greeting.” Mani adds: “He would walk from one elephant to another, addressing them by their name like he’s talking to a child.” Dr Krishnamurthy’s namesake, the elephant Murthy at Theppakadu Elephant Camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, passed away on October 14. As people mourn the death of one of the gentlest elephants at the camp, Murthy also reminds us of the efforts of the men who play a crucial role in an elephant’s life.

Dr Krishnamurthy was a towering figure in elephant management and care in Tamil Nadu. “He laid the foundation for all the methods that are being followed today,” says 69-year-old Mani, who was Forest Livestock Inspector when Murthy was captured. Mani remembers talking to the vet minutes before he shot the tranquiliser dart into the left shoulder of Murthy, who was a crop-raider that people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu feared, known to have killed 23 people.

“He was in Chennai then and was recovering from a heart surgery,” recalls Mani, who has now retired. “Despite his condition, he would travel on and off to Mudumalai to oversee Murthy’s care.” Murthy was caught in the early hours of July 12, 1998 near Gudalur in the Nilgiris and was subsequently brought to the Theppakadu camp where he was trained.

Veterinarian K Asokan helped in the care of the animal once he was brought to a kraal, a wooden structure used to train a wild elephant. “Murthy had a lot of bullet injuries; I remember him having poor vision for 10 days after he was caught,” says the 59-year-old.