Adios Mother Nature, now it’s back to the concrete jungle

Cheerful trumpeting, curling each other’s trunks almost like a handshake by the gentle giants and a liberal dose of sugarcane and fruits as parting gifts, marked the final day of the elephant rejuvenation camp at Thekkampatti near Mettupalayam in Coimbatore on Friday.
As curtains came down on the annual 48-day camp that began on December 15 along the banks of Bhavani river, ministers Dindigul R Srinivasan, S P Velumani and Sevur Ramachandran flagged off the temple elephants back to their home bases. The 28 elephants from across the state, always alone in their temples throughout the year, bonded with fellow jumbos at the camp, the only place where they get to be with their ilk.
For these elephants, the camp was not just about health check-ups and nutritious diet but also mental nourishment. “Kalyani from Perur temple and Rajalakshmi from Rameswaram temple got very close to each other. They curled their trunks together and reluctantly bid adieu,’’ said an officer from Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department that organised the camp. Decked up with garlands, some of the elephants refused to board the trucks to head back. The mahouts had a tough time convincing the pachyderms to get into the trucks. It was not just the elephants which had made friends at the camp. It was a hard time for the mahouts to let go of the elephants. “This year, the state government had spent Rs 1.45 crore for the camp,’’ said HR and CE minister Sevur Ramachandran. “Besides nutritious diet, medical attention was also given to the elephants. A team of veterinarians examined the elephants and a health report was prepared for each elephant,’’ he said. The mahouts were also provided healthcare.