The monsoon has intensified over God’s Own Country, bringing great relief to elephants, which can now unwind after a hectic year.

With the end of temple festivals, these majestic animals can now breathe easy and undergo a bout of rejuvenation therapy, before the next season begins.

The owners of several tuskers in Thrissur, the land of elephant lovers, have already initiated their animals to the treatment, which is a mix of ayurveda and allopathy.

“The therapy is a bit expensive and will cost you over Rs 1,500 a day ,stretching up to three months,’’  says Dakshinamoorthy, a trader in Thrissur town who owns a 25-year-old tusker.

According to him, the elephant is fed plenty of water and sumptuous meals during the entire period, along with medicines rich in magnesium, calcium and protein.

The food comprises rice laced with buffalo milk, grain flakes mixed with dates, chyavanaprash and other ayurvedic medicines. However, the animal has to be given a laborious bath every day for the treatment to be effective.

 “For this, the elephant’s body is cleaned and freshened for hours together part by part, using pressing stones and coconut husks, so as to improve the blood circulation and fat distribution,’’ Dr P B Giridas, veterinary surgeon of Thrissur zoo told Deccan Herald.

Sensitive points

The surgeon points out that the elephant’s body has 107 sensitive points, which are massaged carefully to rid them of injuries.

The animal is then fed with caryota leaves, an essential ingredient in any form of rejuvenation.

 As soon as the animal regains its vigour and health, it is time for `masth’, an annual bodily phenomenon marked by a secretion which hits all healthy elephants.

Utmost care is taken during this period in handling the animal, which will be in a restless and agitated condition, though weak.

The animal is fed well during the post-masth period, which brings the rejuvenation therapy to an end.
“Earlier, owners engaged mahouts to take care of the rejuvenation. But these days, the animal  has become so dearer that an elephant bought for Rs 8 to 10 lakh will fetch over Rs 40 lakh in a few years.

So, most elephant owners themselves take the trouble of administering the best treatment and keep their prized assets in good shape,’’ says Dr Giridas.