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A tusker dies in Kerala after battling injuries for 26 hours

     Kollam (Kerala): A temple elephant that was hit by a truck died after battling injuries for more than a day in Kerala on Thursday. The accident took place in Kollam when a lorry hit the 37-year old tusker. The tusker was lifted by a crane and put in a lorry and taken to the temple for treatment as its hind legs and backbone got injured in the accident. Veterinary surgeons said lack of proper medical facilities hampered its treatment. "We had given pain killers to the elephant and the bones of the elephant were broken. When bones break, it is very difficult for an elephant to survive. The tail is also broken into pieces. We cannot take X-ray because the facilities are not available here. The law is not allowing mercy killing," said B. Aravind, senior veterinary surgeon. Animal lovers blamed official apathy for the sad state of affairs resulting in the death of the elephant. "This is a whole problem with Kerala bureaucracy that we have enormous bureaucracy dedicated to forest, to wildlife, to protection of animal, but none of these people are there when a crisis happens," said Latha Thampi, vice president of 'Watch', an animal lovers organization. Hundreds of captive elephants are booked by organisers of fairs and festivals in southern India to attract people. Accidents often happen, as elephant owners do not put reflectors on the pachyderms.
-Mar 27, 2009

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