COIMBATORE: A 40-year-old wild tusker, which suffered an injury in the ear, died when being shifted to the Theppakadu camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Tuesday. On Monday, officials spotted the elephant with a bleeding injury and administered first aid. Since it was a festering wound, officials decided to tranquillize and take the elephant to Theppakadu for further treatment.
The elephant had lost a portion of the ear and the wound was infected. Locals alleged that the elephant was injured in a petrol bomb attack by miscreants, but forest department officials denied the charge. The operation to tranquilize the animal started at 10.30 am on Tuesday.
A Sugumar, forest veterinary officer of Coimbatore forest division and K Rajesh Kumar assistant veterinary surgeon of MTR shot the dart at tusker, after which it was loaded on to a flatbed truck and taken to Theppakadu. Kumki elephants Wasim, Vijay, Giri and Krishna helped injured animal get into truck.
This is the second time that the elephant was tranqualised for treatment. On December 28, 2020, it was tranqulised to provide treatment to his back. “It was very unfortunate that the elephant died. We decided to move it to the camp as it was very weak due to blood loss.
The tusker was alive till it reached Theppakadu. Just before entering the camp he breathed his last. Post mortem will be done on Wednesday morning,” said LCS Srikanth Deputy Director of MTR. Meanwhile, wildlife activists condemned forest department officials for the decision to tranquilize the animal. “It was unnecessary to tranquilize as the animal’s health was worsening,” an activist said.