THRISSUR: Chances are that if the first mahout tests Covid positive, the elephant too might miss out on the Thrissur Pooram this year.
However, if it’s the second or third mahout who is infected, the jumbo will not have to withdraw, the district-level elephant monitoring committee has said.
The committee has made it mandatory for mahouts to carry a Covid negative certificate received after an RT-PCR test to attend the Pooram, which is scheduled for April 23.
“Mahouts cannot be exempted from protocol, as even a small oversight may lead to further spread of the virus,” said Prabhu P M, assistant conservator of forests, Social Forestry.
Up to 90 tuskers will attend the Pooram, each of which will have three mahouts. Hence, approximately 270 mahouts will take part in the festival.
The panel has decided to deploy a 40-member team to examine the elephants ahead of the event. In case a jumbo goes berserk, two elephant squads will be present to take charge.
Meanwhile, the Cochin Devaswom Board has announced its plan to set up a testing centre for mahouts of devaswom elephants.