Tamil Nadu: Special arrangements in Trichy to keep elephants cool from summer heat
Apr 03, 2024
Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 3 : Amid an increase in temperatures, the Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu has made special arrangements for jumbos to cope with the heat.
Forest officials are making provisions for shower baths, mud baths and even swimming pools for the elephants to lower their body temperatures.
The District Forest Officer (DFO) of Trichy, Krithiga, while talking to ANI, emphasised the camp's dedication to caring for elephants since its establishment in 2019.
"Tiruchirappalli Forest Division has been running an elephant rescue and rehabilitation camp in M.R. Palayam Reserve Forest. We have been running an elephant rescue and rehabilitation camp in the M.R. Palayam reserve forest. We have 11 elephants here now. The elephants have been brought from private owners who did not have licences or who were not maintaining the elephants well. The camp has been running here since 2019," Krithiga said.
"We have all the facilities that are needed for the elephants. We feed them on an everyday basis with a mix of grains, vegetables, fruits and other foods as prescribed by the veterinarian. To tackle the summer heat, we have recently installed a mini shower. There is a swimming pool bathing routine in the morning and mini shower facilities in the evening," she said.
Forest veterinary doctor Kalaivannan underscored the camp's commitment to the elephants' welfare, highlighting the rigorous dietary regimen and regular veterinary check-ups.
"We have been running an elephant rescue and rehabilitation camp in M.R. Palayam Reserve Forest. We have 11 elephants here now. These elephants were brought from private owners who did not have licences or who were not maintaining the elephants well. The camp has been running here since 2019. We have all the facilities that are needed for the elephants. We feed them on an everyday basis with a mix of grains, vegetables, fruits and other foods as prescribed by the veterinarian. We have a visiting veterinarian who comes in almost every week," Kalaivannan said.
Similarly, in Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune, director Rajkumar Jadhav emphasised the importance of adapting to rising temperatures to ensure the well-being of zoo animals
"Every summer, we make some changes. When the temperature crosses 40 degrees, it will have some impact on the animals, so accordingly, we make some changes. We put fans, coolers, and foggers wherever possible. We have arranged foggers for tigers and leopards. For elephants, we have arranged small water bodies. Different types of arrangements are made according to the species. We have made arrangements for fans, foggers and coolers wherever possible, depending on the species," Rajkumar Jadhav said.
