Play area created inside Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre near Tiruchi

An elephant playing inside the Enrichment Play Area created at the Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at M.R. Palayam near Tiruchi.
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Special Arrangement

A free-ranging ‘Enrichment Play Area’ has been created for the captive elephants at the Elephant Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at M.R. Palayam near Tiruchi.

The nearly 20-hectare centre established by the Forest Department a few years ago is home to eight elephants translocated from various districts in Tamil Nadu. Equipped with a host of facilities, the centre takes care of the physical and psychological requirements of the rescued elephants in different age groups

“As part of the efforts to enhance the welfare of the rescued elephants, an exclusive Enrichment Play Area has been developed on an area measuring 1,250 square metre inside the rescue and rehabilitation centre,” the Tiruchi District Forest Officer S. Krithiga told The Hindu. 

The free-ranging play area has logs, tyres, and hanging tyre structures inside to allow the elephants to move freely and interact and play together in a green environment. The rescue centre functions inside a huge reserve forest at M.R. Palayam adjoining the Tiruchi-Chennai national highway.

The enrichment area is to encourage the elephants to play, push, and pull the objects using their trunk to improve their social bonding, cooperative behaviour, and communication. The play area will play a crucial role in reducing the stress and anxiety of the elephants rescued with a history of isolation and trauma, Ms. Krithiga said.

The area allows two or more elephants to interact and play together inside before being taken to their respective shelter. “Overall, the play area supports the captive elephants behavioural rehabilitation, their psychological well-being and their long-term welfare complementing the existing care and management practices at the rescue centre,” Ms. Krithiga said.

The elephants were taken to the play area every evening and some of them had shown a lot of enthusiasm, Ms. Krithiga said.  Every elephant was taken care of by a mahout assisted by a Kavadi inside the centre where a hydrotherapy pool was established a few months ago to provide muscle relaxation for the aged elephants suffering from pain and weakness in their legs.

The Forest Department had created water and mud bath facilities inside the centre which is also equipped with a dedicated treatment shelter to examine the health condition of the pachyderms and provide required treatment to them. A dietary schedule is followed for the elephants. Ms. Krithiga said the health of the elephants was being monitored closely by a full-time veterinarian engaged by the Forest Department.