Forest Minister K. Raju inaugurated the free ration distribution for elephants at Government Veterinary Hospital, Puthankulam, here on Thursday.
Forty-three elephants and two calves in the district will be given rice, wheat, ragi, chickpea, horse gram, turmeric and jaggery for 40 days as part the project jointly launched by the Forest and Animal Husbandry Departments.
The food will be distributed at the hospitals in Chathannur, Panaveli, Sakthikulangara, Ezhukone, Kottamkara, Paravur, Puthankulam, Chirakara, Kuzhimathikadu, Kottarakara, Panmana, Mayyanad and Kollam.
Fruits and sweets
The Minister fed jaggery and pineapple to two elephants, Ananthapadmanabhan and Manikandan, at the event.
G.S. Jayalal, MLA, presided over the function.
Poothakulam grama panchayat president M.K. Sreekumar, Animal Husbandry Department Director C. Madhu and Assistant Directors S. Shinekumar and B. Ajith Kumar were present on the occasion.