Bringing a huge smile on the faces of the onlookers and Forest Department personnel, a sick female elephant that collapsed in a farmland at Karadimadai was up and running on her feet after a nine-hour long struggle on the outskirts of Coimbatore on Saturday.
Thanks to the Medical Team of the Forest Department headed by Dr.S. Vennila, Veterinarian at the Pooluvapatti Government Veterinary Hospital, the pachyderm, possibly a lactating mother aged between 40 and 50, was reunited with her herd and calf.
According to senior officials from the Forest Department, they received information about the matriarch in the early hours on Saturday. She had collapsed in a farm surrounded by cattle fodder after an attempted crop raid in the nearby farmlands. The plot was almost a kilometre away from the nearby Reserve Forest of the Madukkarai Range, Coimbatore Forest Division.
Since a she-elephant and a calf were close by, it was difficult to move closer and start the treatment for the sick one despite the doctors arriving around 11.30 am on the scene. The team led by Dr.Vennila arrived at the scene in the absence of Tamil Nadu Forest Veterinarian N.S.Manoharan, who was out of station.
District Forest Officer N. Satheesh, Madukkarai Range Officer M. Senthil Kumar and other officials also arrived at the scene to oversee the operation. The Anti-Poaching Watchers (APW) of the department were split into four teams to drive away the two elephants in order to treat the struggling mother.
After several hours, the teams finally managed to drive them away and the treatment commenced. The elephant was administered with glucose and reviving medicine. It was diagnosed that she had collapsed because of old age. Her cheek and forehead bone were sunk deep indicating that she was old and sick. Meanwhile, both the calf and the other female were kept at bay by a team of APWs.
The elephant was also constantly cooled down during the treatment using water and her legs were sprinkled with warm water to help the blood circulation.
Almost after six hours of treatment, she was gently pushed back on to her feet with the help of an earth mover Soon she managed to stand up and found her steps to her herd nearby much to the delight of the people involved in the operation. More than 30 staff of the Forest Department were involved in the operation.
It may be noted that Coimbatore Forest Department had rescued another matriarch of the same age, which had collapsed near a pond at Palamalai in the Periyanaickenpalayam Range in April this year.
Thanks to the Medical Team of the Forest Department headed by Dr.S. Vennila, Veterinarian at the Pooluvapatti Government Veterinary Hospital, the pachyderm, possibly a lactating mother aged between 40 and 50, was reunited with her herd and calf.
According to senior officials from the Forest Department, they received information about the matriarch in the early hours on Saturday. She had collapsed in a farm surrounded by cattle fodder after an attempted crop raid in the nearby farmlands. The plot was almost a kilometre away from the nearby Reserve Forest of the Madukkarai Range, Coimbatore Forest Division.
Since a she-elephant and a calf were close by, it was difficult to move closer and start the treatment for the sick one despite the doctors arriving around 11.30 am on the scene. The team led by Dr.Vennila arrived at the scene in the absence of Tamil Nadu Forest Veterinarian N.S.Manoharan, who was out of station.
District Forest Officer N. Satheesh, Madukkarai Range Officer M. Senthil Kumar and other officials also arrived at the scene to oversee the operation. The Anti-Poaching Watchers (APW) of the department were split into four teams to drive away the two elephants in order to treat the struggling mother.
After several hours, the teams finally managed to drive them away and the treatment commenced. The elephant was administered with glucose and reviving medicine. It was diagnosed that she had collapsed because of old age. Her cheek and forehead bone were sunk deep indicating that she was old and sick. Meanwhile, both the calf and the other female were kept at bay by a team of APWs.
The elephant was also constantly cooled down during the treatment using water and her legs were sprinkled with warm water to help the blood circulation.
Almost after six hours of treatment, she was gently pushed back on to her feet with the help of an earth mover Soon she managed to stand up and found her steps to her herd nearby much to the delight of the people involved in the operation. More than 30 staff of the Forest Department were involved in the operation.
It may be noted that Coimbatore Forest Department had rescued another matriarch of the same age, which had collapsed near a pond at Palamalai in the Periyanaickenpalayam Range in April this year.