When PT 7 with his strength and bravery ravaged the forests of Dhoni, the wild tusker would not have imagined that he was welcomed into a barrage of brutality. PT 7, caught by Dhoni Forest Department, has lost vision in his right eye. The forest department has informed the matter to a committee appointed by the Kerala High Court in this regard. The assessment of the committee appointed by the High Court is that, the injury caused by the air gun pellet was the reason for the elephant’s loss of vision.
PT 7, also known as Dhoni, had been a source of terror for the residents of the Dhoni region in Palakkad. After months of dedicated efforts by a task force, with the assistance of Kumki elephants, PT 7 was successfully tranquilized. Subsequently, the jumbo was relocated to the Dhoni forest station. During a subsequent medical examination conducted by officials from the forest department, it was discovered that PT 7 had approximately 15 gun pellets embedded in its body. These pellets were believed to be the result of gunshots fired by local individuals using homemade firearms, as PT 7 wreaked havoc in residential areas.
The circumstances surrounding the wild elephant’s injury or loss of sight remain unclear, leaving questions about whether it was due to an accident, an attack, or the result of air gun pellets striking its eye. Despite administering medication to the tusker, there has been no improvement in its eyesight thus far. Meanwhile, the forest department asserts that the elephant was already blind when captured, emphasizing the necessity for a specialized examination to determine the cause of its vision loss.
Following its capture, the elephant was promptly administered eye drops by the officials starting from the next day. Presently, the mahouts provide food and water to the elephant from its left side. PT 7 was apprehended by the forest department in January of this year. A petition was filed by an animal protection organization in Batheri, urging for the release of the elephants, including the 20-year-old PT 7. In response to this petition, the High Court appointed an expert committee. Last week, the committee visited the location and conducted a comprehensive assessment of the elephant’s health condition.
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