COIMBATORE: Officials of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) have been administering medicine to a female elephant reportedly aged between 25 to 30 years at Kallar in Valparai.
The elephant that got into a fight with a tusker at Periyakallar on Sunday evening, got severely injured. The Periyakallar estate labourers, who witnessed the fight, informed the forest officials and as a result, officials, on retired animal husbandry department veterinarian NS Manokaran's recommendation placed medicine laced bananas for the elephant.
"We are administering medicine laced sugar Pongal, kali, pineapple, watermelon, salt and coconut to heal the wound. Since Sunday evening, the jumbo has walked nearly ten kilometres, while we have been keeping a tab on the animal from a 30-feet distance. The elephant is seen spraying sand on its body as a healing mechanism," said a forest department source
Though the elephant is injured, it has maintained a calm environment in Valparai so far. An eight-member team is closely monitoring the animal by placing medicine laced food on its pathway.