The Forest Department is treating an elephant, believed to have suffered an injury to one of its rear legs, in Gudalur on Monday.
The elephant that had already been treated for similar injuries between six months and a year ago was spotted once again in Mel Gudalur near the Silver Cloud Estate, and was reported to be having trouble walking. Officials were notified of the animal on Sunday and they decided to intervene on Monday.
G. Ramakrishnan, Forest Range Officer, Gudalur, said the elephant had moved out of the Gudalur range and had recently returned, while forest staff could not get close enough to identify the extend of its injuries. “It seems to be moving freely and feeding which is a good sign,” said Mr. Ramakrishnan. The officials said that they consulted with wildlife veterinarians and on Monday, administered medication to the animal by hiding the drugs in some jackfruits. “As we already had experience working with this particular tusker, which is believed to be between 25 and 30 years old, we knew it enjoyed eating jackfruit,” said a department official.
Teams of forest staff had been posted to keep tabs on the tusker.
