The treatment for the badly injured wild elephant ‘Sidda’, considered to be a challenging task for the Forest Department, commenced in the backwaters of Manchanabele dam, on the outskirts of Bengaluru on Friday, with the experts tranquilising the jumbo.
The 50-year-old tusker that had been staying in the water for nearly two months, is suffering from various health issues. A treatment camp has been established near the backwaters to cover the awaited operation ‘Treat Sidda’.
A team comprising officials from Karnataka, Kerala and Assam examined Sidda’s health. The elephant has been limping owing to its injuries for the past two months. It was given two tranquilisation shots.
Injuries
Sidda’s front right leg is wounded, swollen and infected as a result of pus formation. He is also battling eye problems and has developed an allergic reaction owing to being in the water continuously. Furthermore, he is anaemic as his weight has drastically fallen, officials at the Forest Department, who are familiar with his health condition, told The Hindu.
“He might have also suffered from multiple fractures and nerve damage. We will check his blood vessels, take x-rays and radiograph him before commencing the full-fledged course of treatment,” the officials said.
Treatment
The Forest Department personnel cleaned his wound and drained the pus. Sidda was administered injections and other medicines to prevent the spreading of infections besides being administered antibiotics.
According to officials, initially, energy-rich fluids and a good quantity of nutritious food will be given to improve his health and increase his weight. A treatment plan will be formulated based on opinions of biologists.
The decision to relocate ‘Sidda’ to an elephant camp or an animal rescue centre will be taken later.
Forest veterinarians Arun Zakaria from Kerala and Kushal Kumar Sharma from Assam are treating Sidda. A State team, led by Deputy Conservator of Forests D. Manjunath (Ramanagaram), is assisting them. The Forest Department has also pressed two elephants – Gajendra and Harsha – to help the team.
Two weeks
It might take a minimum of 15 days for Sidda to improve in health. The department will keep a round-the-clock vigil on him, besides preventing him from entering the water. Arrangements for fodder, water and medical treatment will be done at the spot, another senior officer said.
The wild elephant used to travel between Savandurga forest in Ramanagaram taluk to Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) frequently.
According to forest officials, it had developed an acquaintance with the Forest Department elephants at BNP a few months ago. That prompted the BNP personnel to name it ‘Sidda’. He was badly injured after falling into a ditch near the Big Banyan Tree on the outskirts of Bengaluru about two months ago.
