With 10 days into the rejuvenation camp, elephants have started receiving ‘foot bath’ to minimise sole cracks at Thekkampatti near Mettupalayam on Thursday.
Sources inside the camp said that four elephants were receiving ‘foot baths’. They are Lakshmi from Manakula Vinayaga Temple in Puducherry; Kalyani from Pateeswarar Temple in Perur, Coimbatore; Kasthuri from Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, Palani, and Lakshmi from Thayumanaswami Temple, Rockfort, Tiruchirapalli.
The procedure involves the elephants dipping feet in a vessel containing a mixture of medical-grade organic solvents including resorcinol and liquid phenol, along with methylene blue for its anti-fungal properties, sources said.
The procedure will be extended to other elephants depending on the requirement.
“Foot ailments are common in captive elephants,” sources said, with obesity being a primary reason. While wild elephants move 30 to 40 km every day, captive elephants cover only about five to 10 km a day. The diet of captive elephants is also a reason as they are fed rice and millets unlike wild elephants.
While wild cow elephants weigh around 3,000 kg, their counterparts in captivity weigh at least 4,000 kg, according to sources.
As the weight of the elephant falls on its feet, it suffers from ailments such as sole cracks. This ‘foot bath’ procedure helps to cleanse the feet and minimise the sole cracks, the camp sources said.
Organised by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, the 48-day-long annual rejuvenation camp was inaugurated on December 15 and is on till January 31, 2020.
