Elephant treated for bomb injuries succumbs in Kovai

A wild elephant which sustained severe mouth injuries after it was believed to have bitten a country bomb died without responding to treatment in Coimbatore on Thursday.

“Despite continuous treatment, the female elephant, aged between 8-10 years died of its injuries at 12.45 pm on Thursday,” said A Sugumar, veterinarian, Coimbatore Forest Division.

The elephant had been found in a critical condition with a ripped lower jaw and a major portion of its tongue missing. The animal had been starving for more than three weeks. A team comprising expert veterinarians tranquillised the animal and treated it with pain killers, antibiotics and glucose solutions.

In addition, another team was deployed to continuously monitor the elephant’s health. However, it could not be saved due to the grave nature of the injuries. A post-mortem was performed in the presence of senior officials and volunteers from Osai, an NGO. “The exact reason for its death will be known only after we receive the report. The animal has been buried in the same spot,” said an official. Meanwhile, special teams constituted by the Forest Department carried out checks in villages adjoining the forest cover to crack down on use of country bombs to poach wild animals.

“A search operation was carried out in Kuppaiyampalayam, Devarayanpalayam, Vellarukkampalayam, Pachavayal and Kallaru areas. Sniffer dog Valavan was deployed to sniff out explosives. However, we could not locate either country bombs or equipment to poach wild animals. We have also mounted vigil against movement of outsiders in the forest areas,” said T Saravanan, Boluvampatti forest range officer.