Mathura,

18 June (HS): With northern India experiencing severe heatwaves, rescued

elephants at a care center here are being treated to cold fruits, mud baths,

and oral rehydration solutions (ORS) to help them cool off. Summer has not only been about survival for

the 32 rescued elephants at the Elephant Conservation and Care Centre (ECCC) in

Mathura, but also about curing via compassionate care. Keeping elephants

hydrated during the hot summer months is critical. According to Kartick Satyanarayan, CEO of

Wildlife SOS, which oversees ECCC, they are given ORS once a day. He stated that the process grows more

difficult as the elephants are rescued and require particular care.

Satyanarayan

stated that almost all of the animals had trouble walking, and four of the

elephants are entirely blind. He added the elephant enclosures contain water

sprinklers to keep the jumbos cool on hot summer days and are made to seem like

their natural environment.

Each

enclosure has a pool and a mound. He

said that elephants prefer mud baths because they not only regulate their body

temperature but also protect their skin from the sun and parasites. We're

attempting to build a natural home for these elephants since they won't be able

to thrive in the wild, he said. The ECCC was founded in 2010 in partnership

with the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi