Vets perform rare procedure to help injured baby elephant

Dr Gerd Breur of Purdue University in the US, along with Dr S Ayyappan of the Madras Veterinary College, travelled nearly 500 kms from Chennai to Mudumalai National Park to help "Ranga", which was immobilised after a sudden fall on November nine. It has not been able to move since then.

The two doctors, assisted by forest veterinarians, prepared casts for the legs of the pachyderm and the procedure took about five hours. Experts would again examine the elephant, weighing about 500 kgs, after about a month to see whether it could stand on its feet.

The elephant was orphaned when it was a 20-day-old calf and was found abandoned in Mettupalayam forests near Coimbatore. Forest officials tried to reunite the baby elephant with its mother, but to no avail after which it was brought to Mudumalai. Since then, it has been in the care of forest officials and experts.

To make the elephant "feel at home", its enclosure has been modified to allow sunlight, enough breeze, besides providing heater facility, Ameer Kajah, Deputy Director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, said.

Water and paddy straw beddings have been made in an effort to avoid bed sore to the elephant, he said.

The animal has also been given a companion, "Kaveri", a female elephant calf since yesterday as part of efforts to increase social bonding, officials said.

Ranga is in a 'cheerful mood' as it uses its trunk to play with wooden toys and balls made out of trees normally consumed by elephants. This biological exercise helps it to overcome boredom and pain, they said.

Kajah said that the Tamil Nadu government was also keen on the recovery of the baby elephant.

"We keep our fingers crossed. We are very hopeful it will come back to normal", officials said when asked how long would it take to treat the animal.