|
Housing:-
a) Provide a stable ( Tethering place)
for the elephant in a clean and healthy
environment with sufficient shade to keep
them during rest period.
b) Each captive elephant must be ensured
a minimum floor area as specified below:-
Weaned calf ( Ht below 1.5 metre) 5 m X
2.5 m
Sub adult elephant ( Ht., 1.50 mt - 2.25m)
7 m X 3.5 m
Cow elephant with unweaned calf 9 m X 5
m
Adult elephant ( Ht., 2.25 m) 9 m X 5 m
c) In case of covered sheds, the height
of the structure should not be less than
4.80 metres. Corrugated iron sheets or asbestos
sheets should not be used for roofing of
elephant stables in hot climates.
d) The stable should be protected against
cold and hot winds.
e) The floor or the stable should not be
wet and uneven.
f) Elephant should not be made to stand
on ground saturated with urine and filth.
The floor of the stable must be treated
with suitable disinfectant periodically.
Proper arrangement of drainage of excess
of water and arrangement for removal of
excreta, left over feed item and residual
water shall be made.
Feeding:-
a) Young elephants ( 4-6
yrs old) :-
Ragi 3 kgs
Horse gram 1kg
Salt 200 gms
Jaggery 250 gms
Grass 50 kgs
Sugarcane 3 Nos.,
Green tree leaves-Bamboo/stylo 50 kgs
Coconut 500 gms ( 1 no.,)
b)Adult elephants:-
Ragi 7 kgs
Horse gram 2kgs
Salt 200 gms
Jaggery 250 gms
Grass 200 kgs
Sugarcane 4 Nos.,
Green tree leaves-Bamboo 250 kgs
Coconut 500 gms ( 1 no.,)
Transport:-
Xylazine is the most commonly
used for controlling elephants for surgical
purposes and for road transport. The animal
will be on standing posture even under deep
sedation with Xylazine. Animals are transported
by road and by Rail. Xylazine Hcl brings
desirable changes in animal behaviour by
reducing aggressiveness. This enables smooth
marching, translocation and traveling of
the captured elephants. The Head of the
animal is towards the cabin of the truck
and the tail end towards the exit.
Musth:-
It is a physiological phenomena
occurring annually in male. It occurs more
regularly in well nourished elephants between
the age group of 21 to 80 years. Average
duration of musth is 1 to 2 months. It occurs
mostly in cold season. Elephants must be
kept alone during musth. Engorgement of
temporal glandsand discharge from the opening
of this gland are the symptoms of musth.
More aggressive musth can be managed with
drugs like xylazine.
Prophylactic measures:-
Animals must be protected against anthrax
regularly and dewormed against roundworms
and tapeworms once in three months.
Treatment in sickness:-
Irregular feeding of roughages will lead
to impaction. Foot
rot is the another problem due
to defective management (Where the animals
were kept in unhygienic, moist grounds,
especially in the age group of animals above
20 years of age. )
The captive elephants are
frequently affected with worms of
different kind. In this state, they eat
mud, which causes purging and the worms
are expelled dead. The animal should not
be bathed until after the purging stopped.
Colic pain
noticed in one elephant frequently which
was treated with anti-inflammatory drugs.
Multiple skin lesions
noticed in the body of a five year old elephant
calf treated with Thuja ointment (Homeopathic
medicine) fetches good results.
| 
