An exclusive clinic for elephants

THRISSUR: The forest department has convened a meeting of various stakeholders including veterinarians, elephant owners and devaswoms on June 15 to consider a proposal to set up an exclusive elephant clinic in the state.
The meeting convened as per the directive of the ministry of forest and environment (MoEF) will be held either in Thrissur or Thiruvananthapuram.
The proposal is to set up a clinic for the 'in-patient treatment' of elephants with associated diagnostic facilities and laboratories, said Jacob Cheeran, senior veterinarian and elephant expert.
Different agencies like animal husbandry department, veterinary university, forest department and elephant owners' federation had given proposals to the MoEF on setting up the clinic.
As per the proposals, the proposed clinic is estimated to cost Rs 10 crore. However, the MoEF has suggested the forest department to explore the possibility of scaling down the proposal and the cost, a senior forest department official said.
Apart from the initial investment, the clinic will also entail major maintenance cost. The meeting is likely to discuss how to mobilise the running cost of the clinic, the official said.
Initially the meeting was scheduled to be held in Thiruvananthapuram. However, some senior veterinarians have suggested that the meeting should be held in Thrissur. "We are considering the suggestion and will take a decision soon,'' Om Prakash Kaler, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) said.
Official sources said the proposal was to set up the clinic near Thumburmuzhi River where the veterinary university has some land. "It is important to ensure that there is adequate water near the clinic for the elephants to drink and bathe. The clinic will also require significant land considering that even elephants in musth will have to managed there,'' elephant expert Dr K C Panikker said.
The elephant owners' federation had mooted plans to set up an elephant clinic on their own. "We are awaiting the outcome of the meeting on June 15, to decide whether we should set up a clinic of our own," Kerala Elephant Owners' Federation secretary Sasikumar said.