Photo Courtesy: nenow
Kohima: Joymoti, a 53-year-old elephant, is being airlifted from Nagaland to Vantara in Jamnagar for emergency veterinary care. Floods swept the animal away during the second week of July. Local communities and government teams pulled her from the water. She survived but carries heavy scars from the ordeal.
The elephant suffers from wounds on her forehead, right ear, tail, inner thigh, and abdomen. A deep, maggot-infested wound near her genital area requires immediate attention. Her right eye is gone. She is blind in that side and suffers from chronic tearing. A previous fracture from logging work leaves her with permanent lameness in her left hind leg, making it hard for her to walk or feed.
She received basic first aid, pain meds, and vitamins. The injuries are too severe for local facilities. Air transport cuts down on physical stress compared to ground travel. This mission is a first-of-its-kind operation in India. Officials focused on the safety and comfort of the animal during loading and the flight. Vantara stated, "Joymoti’s transfer to Vantara is not a permanent relocation."
The team will perform a full medical assessment upon arrival. Vantara also pushed for better infrastructure in the region. They proposed building three wildlife veterinary centers in Assam. One site would focus solely on elephants. The Assam Forest Department would run these independent clinics. This plan aims to treat emergencies closer to the source and avoid long-distance trips for wounded wildlife.
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