COIMBATORE: A team of forest staff and veterinarians have been taking steps since Sunday to help a cow elephant that fell sick near the brick kiln unit at Periyathadagam under the Coimbatore forest range, to get back on its feet.
The animal, around 40-years-old, was unable to stand even after it was administrated over 40 IV fluid bottles and multiple injections by veterinary assistant surgeons Prabhu and K Rajesh Kumar of Theppakkadu.
According to DFO TK Ashok Kumar, "Its trunk moved actively after treatment and it was fed watermelon, jaggery, salt etc. However, the animal is unable to stand on her own. We have decided to lift the animal using a JCP vehicle."
Tusker kills pregnant jumbo
A cow elephant at Barali in the Karamadai forest range that was pregnant was killed by another elephant as she allegedly resisted mating, according to the postmortem examination report. Veterinary assistant surgeons K Rajesh Kumar and Kavitha carried out postmortem examination to the animal in the presence of C Dinesh Assistant Conservator of forest and Karamadai Forest Range officer EN Manokaran and members of NGO. The animal was buried nearby later.
'Anthrax infection not found'
In another incident, Coimbatore forest veterinarian K Sukumar carried out an autopsy on a 5-year-old tusker at the tea fields of Muthumudi estate near Valparai on Sunday. The animal was found dead on Friday and a herd of wild elephants blocked the staff.
The animals were driven away on Saturday. However, autopsy was not done over a suspicion that animal could have died due to anthrax on Saturday. After tests, it was found that there is no anthrax infection.
One arrested for killing elephant
Krishnagiri:The third accused was arrested on Saturday night for killing the 18-year-old tusker in the Anchetti forest range last week. The accused was identified as Settu alias M Madhappan (25) of Pandurangan Doddi. Two other accused were arrested earlier.