The captured rogue elephant of Dhoni codenamed Palakkad Tusker 7 (PT7) is found to be suffering from cataract in both eyes.
Earlier, the animal had blurry vision in its left eye and was under treatment. However, on closer examination after the elephant was brought out of its kraal, it was found that both eyes had blurry vision.
Palakkad Divisional Forest Officer Srinivas Kurra said that the cataract in PT7’s right eye was not a major issue. He said it could be treated with medication.
Although surgery was suggested for the vision impairment in the left eye, veterinarians who examined PT7 are of the opinion that medication should be continued. They said surgery would be difficult.
Forest officers said that blurry vision was a major reason for the aggressive behavior of PT7 while it was in the wild. The tusker had terrorised Dhoni, Mayapuram, Mundur, and Akathethara regions for about four years before it was captured on January 22 this year.
PT7 was suspected to have been the elephant that killed a 60-year-old man at Dhoni on July 8, 2022. However, the forest officials had not confirmed it.
The Forest department captured the elephant from Dhoni on January 22. Although Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran named the tusker Dhoni, it is still being referred to as PT7, a name that became notoriously popular with the local and the media.
