Guest guest Posted February 11, 2009 Report Share Posted February 11, 2009 Online edition of India's National Newspaper Wednesday, Feb 11, 2009 ePaper <http://epaper.thehindu.com/> *Injured tusker battling for life * K. S. Sudhi *Elephant could have chewed on explosives laid by poachers * Photo: H. Vibhu *SAD PLIGHT: A juvenile tusker that was found with severe injuries inside the Neryamangalam forest on Tuesday. †" * NERYAMANGALAM, Idukki district: A juvenile tusker has been found ailing at Paattukavu near Neryamangalam. The young animal had suffered injuries in its mouth. Veterinarians suspect that the animal might have been injured while chewing on some mild explosives placed in the forest by poachers. The elephant that was found roaming in the area since Sunday morning, collapsed on Tuesday afternoon at Paattukavu, which is nearly 20 km inside the forest area, which falls under the Malayattoor Elephant Reserve. The difficult terrain in which the animal was found has hampered the rescue operations. The veterinarians abandoned the idea of administering tranquilisers to the animal to treat it as it was lying near a steep gorge. The poor health of the animal also prevented the experts from tranquilising it. It may not survive even a mild dosage of tranquilisers, the veterinarians said. Though Forest officials tried to administer salt to the animal in a bid to restore its body metabolism, it didn’t respond. A team of 10 Forest officials is keeping guard over the tusker. On primary investigation, injuries were found inside the oral cavity of the animal. Parts of its tongue were missing. The animal was discovered in a famished condition, the veterinarians said. The tusker might be part of a resident elephant population of the area, they said. Flies could be seen swarming near the mouth and trunk of the animal, which could not even move its trunk. However, it was seen scanning the people that had gathered around it. The veterinarians are not hopeful of saving the animal’s life as its health is fast deteriorating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.