Treating a wild elephant weighing four to five tonnes is a difficult and risky task, requiring veterinarians to work under challenging conditions, former Veterinary Officer at the Dehiwala National Zoological Park Dr. Jagath Jayasekara said, following the death of wild elephant Kavantissa.
Kavantissa died on Friday (16) while receiving treatment for an injury to its front right leg, after being found collapsed in the Siyambalangamuwa area.
Dr. Jayasekara said treating a wild elephant was considerably more difficult than treating a domesticated elephant or an animal in a zoo, as veterinarians often had to provide treatment in the field without being able to carry out routine medical tests.
When a wild elephant is injured by gunfire, antibiotics and painkillers may initially be administered from a distance using tranquiliser guns, as approaching the animal directly can be dangerous.
The animal’s weight must be estimated based on its body size and footprints to determine the appropriate dosage of medication, he said.
Veterinarians may then have to track the elephant over several kilometres for days to continue treatment.
Dr. Jayasekara said completely anaesthetising a wild elephant was particularly challenging and carried considerable risks, as preliminary health checks, including ECGs and blood tests, could not be easily conducted as they would with humans or domestic animals.
Transporting a sick elephant weighing several tonnes to a hospital was also extremely difficult, meaning treatment often had to be provided at the location where the animal was found.
Despite the efforts of the veterinary team, Kavantissa became too weak to stand and eventually died.
The elephant’s death is a significant loss to the country, while the circumstances surrounding its treatment have highlighted the practical difficulties faced by veterinarians working to save injured wild animals.