Elephant lovers allege mystery over PT 7’s vision loss, likely to lodge complaint

Palakkad: Within hours after a medical report surfaced stating that wild  jumbo ‘Dhoni’ aka ‘PT 7’ (Palakkad Tusker), which was captured and caged by the Kerala Forest Department, suffered vision loss in the right eye, numerous elephant lovers have begun protests. 

Many have alleged mystery over the incident and are reportedly planning to lodge a complaint with the chief wildlife warden in this regard. According to their demand, inspections should be carried out to figure out whether the tusker lost sight amid the training at the forest station. 

Allegations have also cropped up asserting that reports of the elephant getting injured by gun pellets were made up to cover the lapse of the forest officials. 

Earlier, elephant lovers had filed a Right to Information (RTI) petition seeking clarity over whether pellets were retrieved from the elephant’s body. However, as per the RTI reply, no such wounds were spotted on the tusker. 

Subsequently, animal lovers began protesting against the state forest department. 

Meanwhile, a monitoring committee appointed by the Kerala High Court is of the view that the eyesight loss could have occurred amid any accidents or other jumbo attacks. 

PT 7, which had terrorised the residents of the Dhoni region in Palakkad, was tranquilised after relentless efforts by a task force with the help of Kumki elephants, six months back. The jumbo was later shifted to Dhoni forest station.