After a foreign national intimated the office of the Union Minister, Maneka Gandhi, of two horses with overgrown hooves wandering around the town, the two animals received help from members of animal welfare organisations.
The two horses that were in extreme distress were treated by the Worldwide Veterinary Service, India Traing Center (WVS-ITC) and the India Project for Animals and Nature (IPAN). The two animals are now recuperating at an animal shelter run by IPAN.
Nigel Otter, managing trustee of IPAN, told The Hindu that the two horses ponies had been used to ferry tourists on tonga from the bus stand to the Government Botanical Garden.
The animals were then left to wander the streets by their owner.
Though he was asked by animal welfare activists on a couple of occasions to take better care of them, he did not. The animals’ hooves had bent causing them discomfort.
After the intervention of the office of Ms. Gandhi, IPAN members and veterinarians tried to trim the hooves. As that proved difficult, they moved both the animals to a shelter to provide treatment.
“We had to use a hacksaw to trim the hooves, and the animals are being given painkillers,” said Mr. Otter. It will take a few months for the two horses to recover, he added.
Now the district administration, and the police are organising meetings with horse owners in the town to tag animals used for riding.
The Nilgiris District Superintendent of Police, Murali Rambha, said that orders have been issued to all check posts in the districts to inspect whether the horses being transported have all relevant documents, whether they were being brought without causing injuries.
“We have received information that people are buying animals for a few thousand rupees from other States and transporting them to the Nilgiris. We are working along with the municipality to ensure that the animals are being taken care of, and are in the process of registering the animals and the owners,” said Mr. Rambha.
The police would conduct surprise checks on animal owners to ensure that the animals were not being subjected to any cruelty nor were neglected, he added.
