An injured tusker that had been noticed around the Bokkapuram area, near Masinagudi, for more than two weeks, was sedated by Forest Department veterinarians using kumki elephants, and treated on Monday.
The elephant, believed to be around 40 years old, had an injury on its back, and Forest Department staff and officials had tried to treat it by administering medication hidden inside fruits that they fed to the animal. However, as the condition of the elephant continued to deteriorate, a decision was made to get closer to the elephant using kumki elephants from the Theppakadu elephant camp and directly administer antibiotics to the wound.
On Monday, a team of Forest Department staff and wildlife veterinarians found the animal near Thotlingi near Bokkapuram, and sedated the animal. Using the kumkis, the elephant was bound and brought to an open area, where wildlife veterinarian, Rajesh Kumar, along with other veterinarians, treated the elephant’s wound with antibiotics and drugs to help it heal.
“The operation started at around 8 a.m. in the morning and continued for around four hours,” said Deputy Director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Buffer Zone), L.C.S. Srikanth. “The elephant was sedated with just enough medication to keep it standing throughout the entire treatment, and the operation went off without any problems,” said Mr. Srikanth.
Following the successful operation, drugs to reverse the sedatives were administered to the elephant. “The effects of the sedative will gradually wear off over the course of a few hours, and Forest Department staff will continue to monitor it carefully,” he added.
Staff will also be posted to keep tabs on the animal’s recuperation over the coming days, officials said. Officials said that they hoped that the elephant would be able to make a full recovery.
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