Kalpana, a 22 year-old camp elephant of the Forest Department at the Kozhikamudhi camp of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) was gored by a wild tusker on Monday night.
The Forest Department has tamed/trained kumki elephants being used for elephant safari. These elephants were also used for rescue and chasing operations when wild elephants stray into human habitations.
It is learnt that the 20 elephants at the camp were grazing near the camp area. According to tribal people in the elephant camp, a rogue tusker that was in search of a mate violently attacked and injured the female elephant on its back, sides, neck and abdomen.
Kalpana was captured in 2004 in Sethumadai at the foothills of Top Slip and since then, has been at the Kozhikamudhi camp.
On hearing Kalpana trumpeting in pain, the mahouts and cavadis from the elephant camp rushed and chased away the wild tusker. Kalpana was rescued with injuries.
Forest officials led by Range Officer S. Thangaraj Pannerselvam and Forest Veterinarian N.S. Manoharan visited the place. The injured elephant is being treated for the wounds and is said to be out of dangerIt may be recalled that earlier, two female camp elephants of ATR at Kozhikamudhi i.e., Sivakami and Valli were gored by wild tuskers In another incident of conflict, Karthi a camp elephant was gored to death by another wild tusker near Sethumadai.
As a result, the ATR officials have increased deployment of personnel and presence of mahouts and cavadis at the elephant camp.
