An adult tusker is being treated for an injury to its back by Forest Department officials at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).
Local residents living in Bokkapuram in the buffer zone of the tiger reserve, had noticed the tusker roaming around the village for the last three days, said Deputy Director of MTR (Buffer Zone), L.C.S. Srikanth.
The elephant had been monitored by the Forest Department, who noticed that the animal had an injury on its back. “It was then decided that we would intervene and try to treat it,” said Mr. Srikanth. K. Rajesh Kumar, forest veterinarian at MTR, was part of the team of staff treating the animal.
“We hid medicines to treat the animal inside some fruits, which we left near the injured tusker,” said Mr. Srikanth. The elephant was feeding and seemed to be otherwise healthy, he added.
Officials said that the animal was not exhibiting any major signs of distress, but added that local residents were being cautioned to stay away from it. Officials added that the elephant will be monitored over the course of the next few days. “We will keep an eye on the animal and monitor its progress,” added Mr. Srikanth.
