Kottayam:
An elephant that suffered serious head injury while being transported in a truck died late last night after writhing in pain for hours at Kumarakom near Kottayam.
The tusker, Soman, had his forehead dashed against the cabin of the truck in which it was being carried when the vehicle hit a speed-breaker.
The wooden frame within which the jumbo was made to stand broke when the speeding truck hit the speed-breaker and a piece of broken wood spiked deep into one of its limbs.
The driver and the mahout, who were inside the cabin of the truck, were unaware of the injury suffered by the jumbo and kept on moving in full speed, local people and police said.
However, on seeing the "moving tragedy", a group of people blocked the truck when it reached Illikkal junction and told the mahouts and the driver of the suffering of the animal.
Following this, fire and police personnel and veterinarians were called in but their efforts to get the elephant stand up on its own failed.
Hours later, a crane was brought and the jumbo was lifted out and laid down on the road side. Though IV fluid and medicines were administered, it died late in the night after battling for life for several hours.
Police registered a case against two mahouts of the elephant and the driver of the truck.
Local people and animal rights campaigners alleged that they flouted the norms laid down by the wildlife department to be followed while transporting elephants in trucks.
Ironically, the elephant met with the tragic end while it was being taken to its owner's estate for restorative treatment.
The tusker, Soman, had his forehead dashed against the cabin of the truck in which it was being carried when the vehicle hit a speed-breaker.
The wooden frame within which the jumbo was made to stand broke when the speeding truck hit the speed-breaker and a piece of broken wood spiked deep into one of its limbs.
The driver and the mahout, who were inside the cabin of the truck, were unaware of the injury suffered by the jumbo and kept on moving in full speed, local people and police said.
However, on seeing the "moving tragedy", a group of people blocked the truck when it reached Illikkal junction and told the mahouts and the driver of the suffering of the animal.
Following this, fire and police personnel and veterinarians were called in but their efforts to get the elephant stand up on its own failed.
Hours later, a crane was brought and the jumbo was lifted out and laid down on the road side. Though IV fluid and medicines were administered, it died late in the night after battling for life for several hours.
Police registered a case against two mahouts of the elephant and the driver of the truck.
Local people and animal rights campaigners alleged that they flouted the norms laid down by the wildlife department to be followed while transporting elephants in trucks.
Ironically, the elephant met with the tragic end while it was being taken to its owner's estate for restorative treatment.
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