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Tusk loss in wild encounter strips Kumki of ‘elite’ status
A 46-year-old Kumki elephant Sujai was attacked by a huge wild tusker at 4. 15 am at the Chadivayal elephant camp near Coimbatore. It suffered bleeding injuries and is under treatment. The Kumki elephant was taken over by surprise and its right tusk was severed. Though it is responding to treatment, it will not be able to be a Kumki anymore as it had lost its tusk.
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Coimbatore
Sujai and Paari (40) are the two Kumki elephants in the Chadivayal camp. Their legs were tied with a metal chain at night. “The incident occurred though the camp was provided with elephant proof trenches, solar fencing and other measures to keep wild elephants away. It was quite unexpected,” said a senior forest officer. At around 4.15 am, the wild tusker damaged the solar fence and made its way into the camp.
“The animal measuring about 12 feet tall went straight to Sujai and attacked him. Sujai is trained to tackle conflicts but it measures only about seven-and-a-half-feet. It was easily over powered by the wild one,” District Forest Officer (DFO) S. Ramasubramanian told DTNext.
Since its legs were tied its chance of defending itself was restricted. Department staff said that the tuskers fought for about five minutes, with their tusks. Anti-poaching watchers and elephant men manning the camp were alerted and rushed to the spot. They lit fireworks and used flame torches to chase the wild jumbo that was violent as it was in musth. But Sujai’s right tusk measuring close to four-and-a-half-feet-long was severed in the fight. It was badly injured near the tusk and began bleeding profusely.
“As it was given antiseptics and pain relieving medicines immediately, it stopped bleeding. It is slowly responding to treatment and has begun to take food and water,” senior wildlife veterinary officer N.S. Manoharan said. Department officers said that their top priority was to help Sujai recover. “For a Kumki, tusk plays a major role in chasing away wild elephants, mitigate man-animal conflicts and to shield the department personnel from wild elephants when an ailing jumbo is treated,” an officer said.
It is also instrumental in capturing rogue elephants. Kumkis from Coimbatore and Nilgiris are not only taken for wild life conflict mitigation and other tough tasks across the State but also to the nearby states. In February 2014, the department lost Nanjan, the most experienced, strongest, bravest and efficient Kumki. With Sujai losing its tusk, the department is left with just three Kumkis including Kaleem (53) at the Kolikamuthi camp, Vijay (46) at MTR and Paari (40) at Chadivayal.
Elephant death toll up as two more succumb
Two young female elephant calves that were treated at Mettupalayam and Periyanaickenpalayam ranges in Coimbatore District died on Wednesday. This included the one-anda-half-year-old calf that suffered electrocution with its 30-year-old mother and another seven-year-old elephant at Mettupalayam.
On Tuesday morning, the three elephants were electrocuted at Thasampalayam village near Mettupalayam, when they tried to enter a farm that was illegally electrified. While the mother and a calf died on the spot, the baby elephant escaped with cut injuries on its trunk. It was taken to the Mettupalayam Forest Depot and treated. “It could not eat or drink and was traumatised on seeing its mother and brother die. However, efforts were taken to operate on it on Wednesday,” District Forest Officer (DFO) S Ramasubramanian said. “The weak calf was given a mild tranquilizer and operated around 11.15 am,” the DFO said. When the surgery to suture the cut on its trunk was underway, the calf suffered breathing difficulty. Around 12.35 pm the calf’s condition grew worse and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was given, but in vain. It was confirmed dead at 12.45 pm. Autopsy revealed that it suffered haemorrhages in the thoracic region. “Search is on for farmer Palanisamy who illegally electrified the fence,” the DFO added. In another incident, the 7-year-old female calf whose tongue was severed after biting a country bomb suffered a fracture on its front right leg died while undergoing treatment on Wednesday.
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