The adult male elephant that was treated for a seemingly serious injury to its back a few days ago is slowly recuperating, forest department officials said.
The elephant, an adult tusker believed to be around 40-years-old, was found to be moving primarily around the Bokkapuram area and his condition had weakened substantially over the last two weeks.
After consultations with top forest department officials in the state, a decision was made to sedate and treat the animal using kumki elephants from the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on December 28.
Following the treatment, forest department officials have been monitoring the health of the animal.
Deputy Director of MTR, (Buffer Zone), L.C.S. Srikanth, said that the animal was “more active” than it was prior to treatment. “It has now moved away from Bokkapuram and towards Mavanallah village, which is a promising sign. However, it still tends to stand in a particular spot throughout the day and is not yet making its way into the surrounding forests,” said Mr. Srikanth.
Veterinarians from the forest department are continuing to monitor the animal, while forest staff are ensuring that people living in the area are aware of its presence and maintain their distance from the animal.
