Athirappilly: The tusker, which had suffered a head injury, was tranquilized as part of the second phase of efforts to treat the elephant. The operation to capture the elephant was led by Dr. Arun Sakaria. The elephant had descended into a river near Vettilappara and was tranquilized while moving toward a sandbank.

With the help of Kumki elephants Konni Surendran, Kunchu, and Vikram, the injured elephant was subdued. The tranquilized elephant will now be loaded onto a truck and transported to Abhayaranyam at Kodanadu for further treatment. A shelter for the elephant was completed in the sanctuary yesterday, and the vehicle for its transport has also been prepared.

The elephant, which was first found with a head injury in a plantation on January 15, was initially tranquilized and treated on January 24 after the injury was found to be serious. It was released after the initial treatment.  However, after the elephant was discovered in a critical condition near the river, it was decided to continue its treatment at the sanctuary until it fully recovers.

Alongside this injured tusker was another elephant named Ganapati, who was shot at and scared away. This prompted the tranquilization of the injured tusker. After being shot, the elephant walked a short distance before collapsing. The area surrounding the elephant has been secured with the help of other tuskers, and the truck to transport the elephant is now en route.