Need a permanent veterinarian in Nilgiris: Forest Dept staff

In a fresh case, an ailing wild elephant which strayed into Cherambadi near Pandalur collapsed on Tuesday. “The jumbo appears to be weak and has ulcer like wounds in its mouth. It is likely that the elephant, which has wounds in its mouth, must have been starving over the last few days,” said a forest department official. 

“Medicines have been administered. It may soon recover and become normal,” said the official.  It may be recalled that an ailing elephant collapsed and died in the same area on June 3. The jumbo had tried to enter a house apparently in search of food and water, but collapsed on the compound wall. Unfortunately, the animal died without responding to treatment. 

Speaking to DTNext, a Forest department official said the department is currently seeking help from the Animal Husbandry department to attend cases of emergencies. However, they lack proper expertise in treating wild animals.  

“At present, forest veterinary officer N S Manoharan is responsible for handling all wildlife emergencies in Coimbatore and The Nilgiris districts. But it becomes difficult as Coimbatore alone sees more number of such cases. Also, emergencies can’t be attended to immediately as it takes a considerable time for the officer to reach the spot,” said the official.