A she-elephant sustained injuries after a truck knocked it down at Ponkuzhi on the Kerala-Karnataka border under the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on Tuesday.
Sanctuary officials arrested truck driver Sameej, 30, at Balussery in the Kozhikode district, in connection with the incident, which occurred around 7.30 p.m. As a herd of elephants was crossing the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766 inside the sanctuary, the steel rack-laden truck rammed the elephant, sanctuary sources said.
Though the truck driver did not stop the vehicle after the incident, the sanctuary officials arrested him later at Thakarappady and seized the truck.
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A team of experts led by forest veterinary surgeon Arun Zachariah examined the jumbo and gave first aid after tranquillising it.
The elephant had a compound fracture on the right shoulder and its ribs might also be broken, the sources said. The animal was administered a revival injection to which it responded well. A special team was constituted to monitor the movement of the herd, the sources said.