The operation to tranquillise and treat wild elephant Baahubali at Mettupalayam near Coimbatore was withdrawn temporarily on Thursday after veterinarians observed that the animal was healthy and active.
S. Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests and Field Director of the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), said efforts to tranquillise the elephant, aged around 35, was put on hold. The elephant was spotted with a bleeding mouth on June 22, following which special teams were constituted to track, tranquillise, and treat the elephant.
Three veterinarians, A. Sukumar from Coimbatore Forest Division, E. Vijayaraghavan from Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), and K. Rajesh Kumar from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) were camping at Mettupalayam after Chief Wildlife Warden issued an order on June 23 to tranquillise and examine the injury of the elephant.
The veterinarians observed the tusker and found out that it was taking normal feed as before. The elephant, known for straying into villages around Mettupalayam, was also seen feeding on crops and drinking water.
“The elephant was seen masticating normally and an injury caused by a country bomb is not suspected. All the veterinarians who observed the elephant opined that it could have suffered a minor injury due to a fight with another elephant which could have healed. It has been given medicines stuffed in fruits. We will continue to monitor the elephant for 10 more days,” said District Forest Officer N. Jayaraj.
The veterinarians submitted a report to the DFO on Wednesday, stating that the elephant was active and normal and an immediate medical intervention by tranquillising the animal was not required. Following the submission of the report, only one veterinarian is camping at Mettupalayam. Two kumkis (trained male elephants), namely Wasim and Vijay, that were brought from MTR for the operation will continue to remain at Mettupalayam for a few more days.
Dr. Sukumar said a close look at the mouth of the elephant from visuals captured when it was engaged in crop raiding showed it did not suffer any serious injury. “Medicines including painkillers and antibiotics were fed to the elephant by stuffing them in watermelon and jackfruit,” he said.
