Amid rising temperatures, the Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Tiruchirapalli district of Tamil Nadu has implemented special measures to help elephants cope with the heat. Forest officials are providing shower baths, mud baths, and swimming pools to help lower the elephants’ body temperatures.
The District Forest Officer (DFO) of Trichy, Krithiga, highlighted the camp’s commitment to elephant care since its establishment in 2019. She mentioned, “Tiruchirappalli Forest Division has been running an elephant rescue and rehabilitation camp in M.R. Palayam Reserve Forest. We have 11 elephants here now. The elephants have been brought from private owners who did not have licenses or who were not maintaining the elephants well.”
Krithiga also mentioned the facilities available for the elephants, including a dietary regimen of grains, vegetables, fruits, and other foods as prescribed by the veterinarian. To combat the summer heat, a mini shower has been installed, along with a morning swimming pool bathing routine and evening mini shower facilities.
Forest veterinary doctor Kalaivannan echoed Krithiga’s sentiments, emphasizing the camp’s dedication to the elephants’ welfare. He mentioned the regular veterinary check-ups and dietary regimen provided to the elephants.
In Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, Pune, director Rajkumar Jadhav highlighted the importance of adapting to rising temperatures for the well-being of zoo animals. He mentioned, “Every summer, we make some changes. When the temperature crosses 40 degrees, it will have some impact on the animals, so accordingly, we make some changes. We put fans, coolers, and foggers wherever possible. We have arranged foggers for tigers and leopards. For elephants, we have arranged small water bodies. Different types of arrangements are made according to the species. We have made arrangements for fans, foggers, and coolers wherever possible, depending on the species.”