Officials are placing medicines mixed with food (mixture of finger millet, jaggery, and coconut) in banana leaves at locations frequently visited by the elephant
Forest staff have been placing these medicine-infused food balls at strategic locations since September 7 and have continued monitoring the elephant’s movements.
Officials said the elephant had consumed some of the medicated balls placed earlier, raising hopes that the treatment would help the wound heal. After examining the injury, K Vijayaragavan, veterinary assistant surgeon at the Wildlife Transit and Treatment Centre (WTTC), Pethikuttai, Sirumugai, recommended painkillers and immunity boosters for the elephant, said a forest official. We will continue this treatment in the coming days to improve its health,” a forest department official said. Officials said they would continue administering the medicines indirectly and assess the elephant’s condition before deciding on further treatment.
Coimbatore: Forest department staff have begun an unconventional treatment for a wild elephant nicknamed ‘ Baahubali ’, which suffered an injury on its back after infighting with another male elephant in Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district. The forest department has identified the elephant as MP20T1, which locals have nicknamed Baahubali. Since officials cannot safely restrain the elephant for direct treatment, they have opted for an indirect method by placing medicines mixed with food (mixture of finger millet, jaggery, and coconut) in banana leaves at locations frequently visited by the elephant. “We crushed the medicines into powder, mixed them with millet, made them into large balls, wrapped them in banana leaves and placed them at five locations where the elephant moves.