Single-tusked jumbo’s wound healing on its own: Tirupattur DFO

TIRUPATTUR: An aged, single-tusked elephant with a wound on its right foreleg, which was found wandering in Alangayam forest areas, was now healing on its own. Hence no human intervention was necessary, said Tirupattur DFO Naga Satish Gidijala.

His response comes after a group of social activits appealed for treatment to the elephant, which was seen dragging its feet during its foray into areas, including Kavalur, Naikanur, RMS Pudur, and Jamunamarudur, near Alangayam.

A team of forest officials has been monitoring its movement and the animal was in no way incommoded by the wound.

“Actually it is only a bruise that is now healing by itself and that is why we did not want to interfere,” Gidijala said, adding, “also it is a full grown adult and may be around 45 years.”

Elaborating the DFO said, “The pachyderm is a wild animal and hence there are risks involved in human intervention. The animal has been in the area for quite some time as it was stranded on Jawadhu Hills into which it strayed some time ago from its usual habitat near Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border abutting Vellore.”

The Chennai-Bengaluru highway cuts across the terrain splitting the elephant terrain into two and Jawadhu hills have been isolated due to it.

“The animal regularly moves around Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, and Tirupattur districts and now it is in Alangayam area,” Gidijala said.

Asked if it was in the habit of destroying farmers’ crops, he replied in the affirmative and added that compensation to farmers was being paid out regularly for such damage.