COIMBATORE: A female elephant is battling for life after it suffered severe injuries in the mouth. A team of three veterinarians, A Sukumar, K Rajesh Kumar NS Manokaran, are trying to save the elephant, beleived to be 8 to 10 years old, at Thaanikandi in Boluvampatti forest range since Wednesday morning.
The animal was spotted by anti poaching watchers on March 20 and veterinarians managed to capture (tranqulised) the animal.
Coimbatore Forest Veterinarian Sukumar said “We got permission from the chief wildlife warden and tranquilised the animal with a mild dose. We administered anti-biotics, painkillers.” Explaining the animal’s condition, he said “More than 95 per cent of the animal’s tongue is severed and the left jaw has been ripped off.
We suspect the animal might have been injured in a fight with a tusker or bitten an avuttukai (country bomb). The injury might have occurred three weeks ago and since then the animal could not chew grass, drink water which has weakened her. We have so far given more than 30 bottles of glucose. However she has not recovered, since for the last 21 days, she did not have food and water. She is in a critical condition.” The officials are not planning to shift her animal to a camp as she is not fit for travel.
In some cases, poachers places it to kill wild boars for the meat. M Sirajdeen Coimbatore Coordinator Wildlife and Nature Conservation Trust (WNCT) “Unlike checking for illegal power connection, checking for avuttukai in farm land is difficult as one can not identify it.
Usually, Avuttukai is concealed in fruits. We suspect the elephant might have been injured in Mullangadu. Forest officials should carry out raids in suspected house and take action against perpetrators if avuttukai was the cause of injury.”
DFO TK Ashok Kumar has directed Boluvampatti forest range officer Saravanan to register a wildlife offence case and the team started searching avuttukai burst marks in the farm lands at Mullamgadu and neighbouring areas.