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Abused Thai tusker endures multiple health challenges
“The animal is in great pain": An abscess in its hip area. Pix by M.D. Nissanka and Akila Jayawardana
It is an elephantine task to cope with Muthu Raja, the pachyderm gift to Sri Lanka by the Royal kingdom of Thailand.
The zoo officials who are caring for him require an X-ray of its left front leg which is said to be stiff.
They do not have a machine and the one available with the Department of Zoology is outdated.
Veterinary surgeons also want to give him water treatment but a suitable deep pool is yet to be found.
It is only now the authorities had been successful in sorting out issues relating to communications with the animal as it was paying attention to two calls from a Thai Mahout assigned to Muthu Raja.
To avoid confusion the authorities have now asked him to retain from the task allowed the Sri Lankan Mahouts at the zoo to play the role since the animal is getting used to their commands.
“The animal is in great pain”, The Director of Animal Health and Nutrition at the zoo, Dr Rajapaksalage Chandana Rajapaksa.
“The most concerning health problem is the stiffness of its left front leg. Apart from that, the tusker has a cataract in its right eye and two abscesses in its hip areas,” he said. The abscesses would be cleaned up.
Already, vitamin supplements have been given to improve joint health, while a balm has been applied to ease its pain and muscle stiffness.
Dr Rajapaksa said an x-ray of the elephant’s leg will be taken. He expressed concerns that prolonged walking in an abnormal gait could also damage its other legs.
Ailments related to muscles, arthritis, or bone damage are also suspected.
Dr Rajapaksalage Chandana Rajapaksa
The zoo’s 15-year-old X-ray machine is unusable. The veterinarians have planned to use the portable x-ray machine belonging to the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
Even though a technical report had been prepared by the zoo’s veterinary division to buy a new machine, a tender has not been called. There is no funding.
The zoo’s veterinarians also want to provide hydrotherapy to help the tusker recover faster. But, the zoo does not have a deep enough pool.
The zoo is to get a hydrotherapy unit next year.
The Sunday Times observed that the tusker is unable to bend its knee. At the zoo, it is shackled from its right front leg and left hind leg.
The elephant’s left front leg appeared to have a swollen muscle and was treated with a black balm.
Zoo employees said they allowed the animal to settle in first before gradually removing the shackles.
A senior official said that the zoo had prepared a treatment schedule based on suggestions from Thai and local veterinarians.
A Thai veterinary team visited the zoo last week after the Thai ambassador and Kande Viharaya Chief Incumbent Ven. Kokavita Vipulasara Thera agreed to move the animal to the zoo.
Sources said the Thai Embassy intends to move the elephant back to Thailand as they believe that keeping it at the zoo would be an insult to the monk who previously was the custodian.
Although a Thai national elephant caretaker was assigned to the zoo by the Thai Embassy the elephant would be handled by the zoo’s handlers so that the animal will not be confused.
The Sunday Times learned that the Thai caretaker, too, is learning the language used by local handlers.
A person involved in cultural pageants and who requested anonymity, alleged that Muthu Raja was badly treated by the temple mahout. It had been repeatedly used for processions while suffering from a limp. The tusker was provided for a perahera for between Rs 120,000 and Rs 220,000 a day.
He said shackles with thorns had been used, as the mahout had claimed “it was a violent animal which only obeyed him”.
Mahout Roshan Jayasundara denied the allegations and said Muthu Raja found it difficult to understand commands as it had been trained in a foreign language in its early years.
“Looking after Muthu Raja is not easy. It is the most aggressive elephant I have taken care of,’’ he said.
The tusker, gifted to Sri Lanka during the tenure of former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 2001 had been later transferred to the temple. However, the 29-year-old tusker is still registered to the former Incumbent of the temple Batuwanhene Buddarakkitha Thera who passed away.
Ven. Vipulasara Thera was unavailable to comment. The Royal Thai Embassy declined to comment.
| Jumbo will not be moved to Thailand | |
| Sri Lanka is capable of taking care of Muthu Raja, the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation has informed the Thai Government.Secretary R.M.C.M. Herath told the Sunday Timesthat Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has said that there is no need to take the animal back to Thailand.She said the ministry handed the animal over to the National Zoological Gardens for medical treatment with the consent of the chief incumbent of Aluthgama Kande Viharaya and the Thai Embassy. She said the ministry is aware that the tusker had been subjected to ill-treatment by the mahout. |
| Three elephants for processions | |
| National Zoological Gardens Director General Thilak Premakantha told the Sunday Timesthree elephants have been trained for cultural processions.But, he said, there is not enough staff to handle and train many more elephants.“We believe we do not have the required number of trained elephants and staff to carry out the task.” He said some individuals who own elephants and who make money from them do not favour the idea of the zoo providing elephants for processions. |
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