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Jumbo saved from Uyyakondan Canal after 7-hr battle
The mahouts and onlookers heaved a sigh of relief after the forest and fire and rescue personnel rescued the 26-year-old female elephant which jumped into Uyyakondan Canal scared by a herd of buffalos. The operation ended in the wee hours of Saturday nearly after seven hours of struggle.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
It is said, Sukumar of Samayapuram owned the female elephant named Sumithra and the mahouts Gopu and Kannan have been taking care of the jumbo. On Friday, the mahouts brought the elephant for a private function in Vayalur.Â
When the elephant was reaching Allithurai Bridge around 6 pm, it saw a herd of buffaloes that was moving one by one. All of a sudden Sumithra ran amok and jumped into the Uyyankondan Canal and the mahouts too jumped behind to calm it down.
However, the scared animal refused to climb up the banks from the canal. She was stranded in the water which was flowing in an average speed.
The mahouts kept on trying to drive the elephant to the bank safely but in vain as Sumithra refused to heed to their commands.
By the time, residents from Vayalur, Allithurai, Somarasampettai and the adjacent villages converged on the spot. When the jumbo, after five hours of struggle was about to climb the banks, it ran back to the canal on noticing the heavy crowd close to the bridge.
Exasperated by the struggle to get Sumithra out of water, the mahouts passed on information to the fire and rescue personnel and also the forest officials.
The officials reached the spot and commenced their rescue operation with the ropes. Somehow around 1 am on Saturday the elephant was pushed up the banks of the canal.
Meanwhile, District Forest Officer D Sujatha confirmed that the jumbo escaped without any injury. Still, she ordered for a detailed inquiry.
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