A day after tusker Arjun, owned by Guruvayur Devaswom, succumbed to its mahout’s torture, another elephant which collapsed while being transported in a lorry, died here on Saturday.
Soman, the 50-year-old elephant owned by O S Varghese of Oalakamattom House, Thottakkad, near Changanassery, which was being shifted from Muhamma to Thottakkad, banged its head against the lorry’s cabin when the driver mindlessly applied the brake at a speed-breaker. The incident occurred near Illikkal bridge on the Kottayam-Kumarakom Road on Saturday morning. The driver, who did not notice the incident, continued the journey with the elephant writhing in pain. On seeing the collapsed elephant, a group of local people stopped the lorry and informed the forest and police officials.
However, it took more than three hours for the veterinary doctor to arrive. The elephant had to stay in the lorry till a crane unit from Kottayam was brought to shift it for treatment.
Despite injecting several litres of glucose, multi-vitamin and protein supplements, efforts to revive the elephant proved futile.
Forest Department officials have registered a case against Sajan, the lorry driver, for rash driving. “A case has been registered against the driver under the captive elephant management rules,” said Forest range officer of Erumeli Range, Shantry Tom.
Irate locals tried to manhandle the driver and mahouts alleging that their negligence led to the mishap.