The 48-day annual elephant rejuvenation camp for temple elephants will begin on January 7 on the banks of Bhavani river at Mettupalayam, said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
The government will spend Rs 1.04 crore for the camp for temple elephants, which began in 2003 but discontinued during the DMK rule from 2006-2011.
This year 43 elephants, including two from Puducherry, have been selected so far to attend the camp.
Elephants that refuse to board trucks for the journey and those with diseases or injuries should be taken care of at their place of residence, the Chief Minister said.
Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment (HR&CE) Department officials have stepped up the pace of arrangements on a three-acre land at Thekkampatti along the banks of river Bhavani. The camp, a pet project of the Chief Minister, was initially held at Mudumalai, but was shifted to the present venue at the foothills of the Nilgiris.
“This has helped in saving a nearly six to seven hour up-hill drive along the ghat section for the pachyderms. The present site at Mettuppalayam along the river is as good as any natural habitat for the jumbos,” a HR & CE official said.
During the previous rejuvenation camp held between December 16, 2014 and January 27, 2015, as many as 33 elephants were treated. In fact, even the tamed elephants in the camps at Mudumalai, Anamalai and two at Chadivayal in the foothills of Siruvani in Coimbatore were brought to the camp.
With the recent rains leaving river the Bhavani in spate, the authorities have temporarily shifted the walking track for the jumbos a little away from the usual place. Last year one shower using motors to spray water on the jumbos for their morning and evening bath was installed and now that is being increased to two. Two bathing ghats are being created along the camp site. In addition, separate sheds for cooking and treatment are being set up.
The jumbos will go for a morning walk, get a scrub bath and then taken for prayers at the make-shift Vinayakar temple before they get their rejuvenating diet. The officials follow a diet chart prepared based on gender, age, height, weight and physiology of the elephants and it would largely include coconut leaves, banyan, sugarcane and palm leaves, besides rice, ragi, horse gram and green grams.
Veterinarian prescriptions for the elephants include Chayavanprash, Ashtachoornam, vitamin and mineral mixtures and boosters to tone up the liver.
