Ayyappan, a 36-year-old-tusker, which was trapped in a slushy area of Kumbalam Lake, met with a tragic end in Kochi, proving futile a nearly 10-hour-long mission to rescue it.
Ayyappan of Shankarankulangara Temple, Thrissur, was brought for a festival at Kannankottu Devi Temple in Pampayimoola in Edakochi.
The tusker panicked and ran into a swamp in the early hours of the day. It got trapped in a slushy area of Kumbalam Lake and sank deeper into the mire as it struggled to extricate itself from the mess.
Later, one of its mahouts succeeded in tying a rope around its neck to haul it out. Water was poured on the animal to keep it cool. A crane was brought to the area and attempts were made to pull it out.
However, the long and strenuous efforts to get out of the swamp had taken a toll on the animal’s health. The exhausted animal fell dead within 15 minutes of being pulled out of the swamp.
Anoxia (or a depletion in the level of oxygen) could have caused the death of the animal, said P.B. Giridas, a tranquilising expert associated with the Thrissur veterinary centre, who was part of the rescue mission.