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| File picture of Deepa |
May 16: Three-and-a-half years old Deepa will become the first elephant in the state to wear a metal brace to prevent injury to her hind limbs which got fractured at the Assam State Zoo last year when she slipped and fell.
Surgeons at the College of Veterinary Sciences, who conducted an X-ray on the baby elephant, have recommended installation of a “metal brace” to prevent injury.
K.K. Sharma of the College of Veterinary Sciences said the metal brace has been recommended after it was suspected that the calf is suffering from paralysis of the radial nerve. “This is the first instance when an elephant in Assam will be fitted with a metal brace,” he added.
The outer layer of the metal brace will be made of steel while the inner layer will comprise sponge and cotton. The state zoo has already started working on the brace.
“The brace has been recommended as the chances of the calf recovering fully is unlikely,” Sharma said.
He, however, said there are doubts on whether the animal will co-operate with this treatment. “We will have to watch it carefully.”
The elephant has been taken to the zoo from the College of Veterinary Sciences. Divisional forest officer of the Assam State Zoo, Narayan Mahanta, said the instructions of the experts would be followed minutely while taking care of the elephant calf.
He said the zoo authorities have already ordered the metal brace after taking the necessary measurements.
The length of the elephant is 1.6 metre and its height is 1.3 metre. The calf was slightly weak at the time of rescue. The baby elephant’s daily diet include 50 kg of fine grass, two banana trees, three kg of carrots and four kg of bananas. A health advisory committee has been constituted at the state zoo for better treatment of the animals.
A total of 43 animals had died in 2002-03 at the Assam State Zoo. These included 33 mammals, eight birds and two reptiles. Deaths because of senility accounted for 0.8 per cent, diseases 5 per cent, infighting 3.1 per cent and accidents 0.2 per cent.
