Several elephant lovers paid a tearful adieu to Sreekanteswaram Sivakumar, a captive elephant managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which died at the Kanthalloor Mahadeva temple at Valiyasala on Thursday following prolonged illness.
Since it was gifted by a devotee to the Sreekanteswaram Mahadeva temple in 1985, the elephant had cultivated a legion of fans and regular visitors, including several children, who used to throng the festivals it took part in. Sivakumar has been a regular participant of the arat processions taken out from the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple.
The tusker, believed to have been aged over 70 years, had been ailing for several months. It collapsed on its tethering spot outside the temple two months ago. While it had found it difficult to stand on its own, the elephant had to be lifted using a crane. A similar incident occurred around six months ago, necessitating the assistance of the Fire and Rescue Services.
While veterinarians had then found the animal to suffer from hypoglycemia and dehydration, experts have repeatedly flagged the absence of a permanent stable. Its deteriorating medical condition was also attributed to a tooth decay that affected proper digestion of the food it consumed.
TDB president K. Anandagopan, members G. Sundareshan, S.S. Jeevan, secretary G. Baiju and Devaswom commissioner B.S. Prakash were among those who paid the jumbo last respects. The elephant will be cremated on a land owned by the TDB at Mudavanmugal after a post-mortem examination on Friday.
