Search resumes for injured elephant in Athirappilly

The mission to treat a wild elephant with a head injury in the Athirappilly-Ezhattumugham forest areas resumed on Thursday. Efforts were temporarily halted on Wednesday after the elephant retreated deeper into the forest during an attempt to tranquilise it. Forest department officials aim to administer medical care if favourable conditions arise during today’s search.

The operation, led by Dr Arun Zachariah, began early in the morning. The team plans to tranquilise and treat the elephant as soon as it is found, with hopes to complete the mission by noon.

Under the leadership of Chief Veterinary Surgeon Dr Arun Zachariah, yesterday’s attempts to locate the injured elephant were unsuccessful, prompting the forest department to extend the operation. Although the elephant was spotted in three locations, the team was unable to pinpoint its exact position or administer the tranquiliser. Low visibility and technical issues hampered the operation.

The elephant was last seen near the Kalady Plantation. However, it moved further into the forest upon sensing human presence, complicating rescue efforts. Despite the use of cameras to track the animal, the team failed to locate it, deciding to resume the search and provide treatment once the elephant is tranquilised.

Drone cameras have also been deployed recently to track the injured elephant, but these efforts have so far been unsuccessful. While other elephants entering residential areas were identified during drone surveys, the injured tusker could not be located due to poor lighting and technical challenges.