Cuttack: A team of veterinary doctors on Wednesday faced a tough task in carrying out treatment of the wild elephant which was found with multiple gunshot wounds in Odisha’s Cuttack district.
After Badamba MLA Debi Prasad Mishra drew the attention of Forest minister Pradip Amat about the tusker in his Facebook post on Tuesday, the team of veterinary doctors from Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar rushed to the spot in a forest near Narasinghpur.
On examining the injured elephant, the vets found 5 gunshot wounds on its body. The pachyderm, which was unable to get up from the place, sustained injuries on trunk, face, legs and body. The vets suspected that the elephant was shot from a country-made gun.
According to sources, the doctors were facing difficulty to carry out the treatment as the elephant was not allowing anybody to come near it. They feared that if the treatment is further delayed, the toxin might spread from the injured parts to entire body.
Meanwhile, minister Amat has said Forest officials were supervising the health condition of the jumbo. “Investigation into the incident is underway and appropriate action will be taken against whoever is found to have fired at the elephant. Efforts will also be taken for protection of elephants,” he said.
On Tuesday, legislator Debi Mishra had stated that he was informed by youth leader Nirmal Jena that some villagers spotted the injured elephant. “Veterinary doctors, on being informed by the villages, have attended to the tusker. But the wild animal needs treatment by experts to survive,” he added.
