New Delhi: Around 40 personnel from the Bengal Sappers, a military engineering regiment of the Indian Army, and veterinary doctors from Wildlife SOS, a non-governmental organisation, are racing against time to rescue a 35-year-old elephant with a fractured leg and worn-off foot pads.
The jumbo, named ‘Moti’, was being used for tourist rides and begging in Uttarakhand’s Rampur district.
Sources in the defence establishment said the Army swung into action after Union Minister General V.K. Singh (retd) reached out to them to rescue the elephant that has been lying down for the last two weeks.
Roorkee was the nearest location from the elephant where a Bengal Sappers unit was based. On receiving information, Lt Col Prateek Gupta, along with two soldiers, immediately left for the spot where the jumbo had been lying. After an initial analysis, five vehicles with equipment were dispatched by the force from Roorkee.
Sources said a total of 40 soldiers are involved in the rescue operation, including Lt Col Gupta and a junior commissioned officer (JCO).
The plan is to build a karal with pulleys and straps to help the elephant stand up.
Update on # prayforMoti According to Dr Rahul Rajput of @wildlifesos Moti has eaten a little & is now sleeping. The Bengal Sappers have erected the shed & are working to get the karal up with the pulleys and straps to get him up. Tomorrow with god’s grace they will succeed. https://t.co/vL2CKX6sWh pic.twitter.com/lXHZlOiLdX
— Shiv Kunal Verma (@shivkunalverma) February 5, 2023
According to sources, the animal has been lying down on its side for the last two weeks and has to stand up for treatment. They also said that its vital organs might be damaged because of lying down on one side for too long.
“The front two pads of its feet have fallen off and she is suspected of having a fracture also. Thankfully, the Army has got involved and gives us a good shot at helping this animal which was being used for begging,” a source in the Wildlife SOS said.
In 2016, the Army and Wildlife SOS had similarly come together to rescue a wild elephant that had suffered a broken foot. While it responded to treatment, the elephant died days later.
Sources said that Moti might need cargo nets, used in shipping ports, so that the jumbo can be safely hoisted up. Regular straps, said sources, might penetrate its flesh because of the elephant’s weight.
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