The elephant annual rejuvenation camp was launched by former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2003 (Representational image). (Photo courtesy Thinkstock)
Its vacation time in the wild for thirty stressed out elephants brought from temples and darghas across Tamil Nadu. The pachyderms are chilling out on the the River Bhavani twice a day which has turned into a natural spa, by the foothills of the Nilgiris.
At the rejuvenation camp for elephants, the jumbos are pampered with a nutritious menu, that includes ayurvedic supplements, rice, grains, jaggery and four hundred kilos of choice green fodder from the jungle every day. Mahouts make them into balls, the pachyderms just gobble these after their showers.
Senthil, a Mahout says "We only use regular hose shower to bath elephants at our temple. The opportunity to bath on this river has made the elephants so happy".
The camp costs the Tamil Nadu government at least Rs 90 lakh, that's about Rs 3 lakh for every elephant. "Both the elephants and the mahouts are happy," says Arjun, a mahout.
The captive solitary elephants in temples hardly get a chance to socialise with other elephants. Thanks to this camp, elephants from different temples in various districts have become friends over the years.
Kodumudi Valli, Gandhimathi and Amaiyambaal always stay together during this annual re-union, fondling and playing with each other. "In the end they turn emotional and takes a while to recover from separation," says M Rajagopal, a mahout.
The jumbos weigh between three and five tonnes each. Some are overweight. A mandatory evening walk up to eight kilometres helps the otherwise sedentary mammal shed some flab.
Veterinarians examine each elephant and prescribe the right food. They also attend to sickness or chronic problems they may have. "Some come with scratches and wounds, digestion issues or respiratory issues, The good rest and the right treatment here helps in early cure," says Chellandi, the Assistant Director.
Till last year the camp was held in Mudumalai. Just this year it was shifted to the plains following reports of difficulty faced by temple jumbos in driving to the hills. Many had also wanted Forest Department-owned wild elephants to be hosted separately.
However, elephant lovers say this camp site at Mettupalayam actually blocks the corridor of wild elephants that live on the hills near by besides denying them access to drinking water. K Kalidasan, President of OSAI an NGO, says, "When the traditional paths of elephants are disturbed, it could lead to man - animal conflict. Elephants would enter villages. All we ask is a shift in location".
While the camp could give the elephants a refreshing break, politics has played spoil sport in the past. Originally former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa launched this project during her tenure as Chief Minister in 2003. The following DMK government however dumped the programme during its tenure from 2006 to 2011.