The Forest department has instituted an expert panel to treat a six-year-old elephant calf which has been suffering from muscular pain and inflammation in the left hind leg for over a month at the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre in Kottoor here.
Manu, the male elephant calf, was found to have developed difficulty in moving its left hind leg on April 4. On examination by the assistant forest veterinary officer at the centre, it was found that its leg has developed inflammation. The ailment had an adverse impact on its appetite too.
According to official sources, the elephant was administered analgesics, antibiotics and targeted anti-inflammatory injections during the first phase of treatment. While it showed significant signs of recovery and started consuming food and resumed its normal sleep-wake cycle, the calf continued to display difficulty in standing upright.
Ever since, Manu is being treated by T. Rajeev, assistant director of the Multi Speciality Veterinary Hospital at Kudappanakunnu. He was a former veterinarian of the Travancore Devaswom Board that has several captive elephants.
An ad-hoc expert panel led by Chief Forest Veterinary Officer Arun Zachariah has been constituted to diagnose the actual cause of its ailment and for further treatment. The other members of the panel include Dr. Rajeev, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) Director of Clinics Madhavan Unny, University Veterinary Hospital head Syam K. Venugopal, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences assistant professor (veterinary surgery and radiology) Dinesh P.T., and Kollam assistant forest veterinary officer Sibi.
Proper care
Dismissing allegations of ill-treatment and abuse of the animal, Thiruvananthapuram Wildlife Warden Suresh Babu I.S. said the elephant calf had been given proper care at the rehabilitation centre under mahout Pushkaran Nair and assistant mahout Raveendran Kani who had been with the department for over a decade. The elephant’s health had been constantly monitored by the assistant forest veterinary surgeon.
The calf has been at Kottoor since it was rescued from the Akampadam forest in Nilambur when it was four months old.
