A she-elephant injured in an assumed train-hit case at Kottekkad, near Malampuzha, died on Saturday evening. The elephant, presumed to be 35 years of age, was lying near a waterhole in the forest for the last two days. It was continually monitored by a team of doctors from the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (COVAS), Mannuthy, since the injury was noticed on Wednesday.
K. Vijayananthan, Chief Conservator of Forests, Eastern Circle, who had supervised attempts to resuscitate the elephant, said that a team of three veterinary doctors would be formed on Sunday for a post-mortem. “This is a special case. We will leave no stone unturned,” said Mr. Vijayananthan.
Seeking water
The elephant was part of a herd that had strayed out of the forest seeking water. The herd had stood near the waterhole for over a day, apparently expecting the injured member to revive. The vet team led by assistant forest veterinary officer David Abraham had given it water, food, and medicines as part of their drive to help the animal.
It was on Wednesday early morning that a goods train loco pilot reported the crossing of an elephant herd. On examination, the forest officials found one of the she-elephants limping severely. It was assumed that the animal was hit by the train, and a case by the Forest department was registered against the loco pilot for negligence.
However, both the Forest and Railway authorities spurned the assumption that it was a train-hit. “It’s very unlikely. The elephant had no external injuries. Therefore, we cannot immediately say that it was hit by a train. It was limping in the hind legs, may be because of a hip dislocation. We will get to know the reason after the post-mortem. But the animal was very weak in general,” said Mr. Vijayananthan.
Anil Kumar, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM), Palakkad division, said that no case of an elephant hit was reported by any of his loco pilots in recent weeks. If the train hits an elephant, the loco pilot will have to report it to the division.
Meanwhile, the Elephant Lovers Forum has alleged a conspiracy in the case. Forum district president Haridas Machingal accused the railway and forest officials of complicity in the elephant tragedy. “Those who said that the elephant was hit by a train are now saying that it was not. It naturally raises our eyebrows,” said Mr. Machingal.
Status of cases
In a fresh right to information (RTI) application to the divisional forest officer, Palakkad, Mr. Machingal has sought the status of the cases against the loco pilots in the 24 elephant deaths that took place on the railway tracks between Palakkad and Coimbatore in the last five years.
