Odisha: Injured elephant in Chandaka Reserve Forest receives treatment

An elephant with a swollen leg in Chandaka Reserve Forest, Bhubaneswar, was treated by a joint veterinary team. Experts from Nandankanan, OUAT, London, and Canada administered medicine after tracking the animal with drones and tranquilising it.

A veterinary team from Nandankanan Zoological Park and the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) spotted an elephant with slow movement in the Chandaka Reserve Forest in Bhubaneswar and administered treatment.

Tracking Operation Underway

According to sources, the elephant was found with swelling in its left hind leg and was moving slowly. Divisional Forest Officer of Chandaka Reserve Forest, Binod Acharya, said the injured animal was first spotted on December 16, following which teams began tracking it.

He said the elephant was tracked again on December 18 with the help of drones and elephant trackers. By closely monitoring its movement, the team was able to administer appropriate treatment.

"On the 16th (December), we detected this sick elephant, and our team has been continuously tracking it. On the 18th (December), we used these drones and the elephant trackers as well," Acharya said.

Expert Team Treats Injured Animal

To treat the elephant, experts from London, Canada and OUAT administered medicines after the animal was tranquilised.

"They have detected the sick elephant and treated it with all our experts from London, Canada and OUAT," Acharya said.

Recovery and Monitoring

When asked about the recovery period, the forest officer said there is no fixed timeline and the animal will need continuous monitoring.

"We'll see how many days it takes. We would try our best to heal it as soon as possible," he told ANI.

He added that two medical teams were involved in the operation. "There were two doctor teams engaged in the treatment, and around 20 members were involved," he said.

Acharya added that they currently have nine elephants in captivity, both large and small, and 28 wild elephants. (ANI)

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