Annual rejuvenation camp goes live, Thekkampatti turns elephant heaven

COIMBATORE: Thekkampatti wears a festive look as the temple elephants from across the State have started coming in. The HRCE department is conducting an annual rejuvenation camp for temple elephants here.

As many as 33 elephants are expected to participate in the camp, which is to be inaugurated by Hindu Religious Charitable Endowments Minister Sevur S Ramachandran and Forest Minister Dindugal C Srinivasan on Thursday. The State government has decided to conduct the camp for 48 days, as opposed to the reduced 30-days camp.

The first elephant to reach was Avaiyammbal, an elephant from Mayuranathaswami Temple in Mayiladuthurai. It arrived at Vanabathrakaliamman temple at around 6.30 am on Wednesday.
Abirami, the elephant from Amritaghateswarar Abirami Temple in Thirukkadaiyur, reached next.  After performing pooja, both animals were weighed on Mettupalayam-Annur road. A walking track, shower bathing facility for the elephants along with a kitchen for the animals and mahout and kavadis have been arranged at Thekkampatti, spread over five acres of land.

N Satheesh, District Forest Officer of Coimbatore forest division, said that 20 staff have been deployed during the day and 30 staff during night to prevent wild elephants from coming near Thekkampatti. “We have requested construction of six watch towers and electric fencing and sufficient crackers to monitor elephant movements and chase the pachyderms respectively.  Unlike last year, we have increased man power to handle the situation,” he said.

Sources from the animal husbandry department said that seven teams would be deployed for the camp including a team comprising two assistant directors, (AD) two veterinary doctors, two life stock inspectors and two animal husbandry assistants. They will check the regular activities of the animals and maintain the records of each animal.

Kalyani, an elephant owned by Perur Pateeswarar Temple, near Coimbatore left for Thekkampatti on Wednesday morning after conducting special poojas. Kalyani has been declared fit-to-travel following assessment by a team of doctors. A saliva test proved that she is free from tuberculosis (TB). Kalyani has also been given anthrax vaccination.

Animals across the State have been instructed to be vaccinated before coming to the camp. However, the State government is yet to issue order for conducting camp for captive elephants at Topslip, Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Theppakkadu in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.