The operation to tranquillise and treat wild elephant Baahubali at Mettupalayam near Coimbatore was withdrawn temporarily on Thursday after veterinarians observed that the animal was healthy and active.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.
