Sontipur, Under the guidance of Mr. Biswa Jyoti Das, AFS, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Sonitpur West Division, Tezpur, an adult male wild elephant Makhna was attended to following the detection of multiple injuries, particularly on the left foreleg around the elbow joint.

Upon examination, the elephant was found to have a suspected sharp spear-related injury to the left foreleg, resulting in severe swelling and difficulty in bearing weight on the affected limb. The animal was also observed to have corneal opacity in the left eye, with suspected partial loss of vision.

For safe examination and treatment, the elephant was chemically immobilized. Surgical intervention was undertaken on the injured left foreleg, and the pus-filled wounds were thoroughly cleaned and dressed, and appropriate antimicrobial ointment was applied. Injectable antibiotics and other necessary supportive treatment were also administered.

The affected left eye was cleaned and dressed, followed by administration of a subconjunctival injection as required.

As part of the post-operative management, the elephant will continue to receive an oral course of antibiotics minimum two weeks, as advised by the attending veterinary team. The animal will remain under close observation and monitoring under the supervision of Miss Sabina Yasmin, Forest Range Officer, Central Range, Sonitpur West Division, Tezpur, until satisfactory recovery. Regular monitoring will be undertaken to assess the condition of the injured foreleg, wound healing, general health, mobility and the condition of the affected eye.

Mr. Biswa Jyoti Das, AFS, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Sonitpur West Division, Tezpur, said, “The said individual was in our close eye observation since 25^th August and the team intervened on 29^th August. Dr. Daoharu Boro and Dr. Mehedi Hasan from IFAW-WTI CWRC, alongside Dr. Amarjyoti Boro, have been engaged in the preliminary treatment followed by major surgical intervention since the 12^th September 2026.

The treatment and subsequent management of the injured elephant were carried out with the expertise of Dr. Panjit Basumatary, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI); Dr. Amarjyoti Boro, Block Veterinary Officer, Dhekiajuli; Dr. Bibhuti Ranjan Gogoi, ACF, Sonitpur West Division, Tezpur; Miss Sabina Yasmin, Forest Range Officer, Central Range, Sonitpur West Division, Tezpur; and the frontline staff of Sonitpur West Division and Central Range, who assisted in the operation and subsequent management of the animal. “Seeing the severity of injury the post-operative care needs to be follow up intensively and if it’s not responded our treatment, maybe we have to immobilization him and give the necessary treatment”, said Dr. Panjit Basumatary.

The Forest Department is closely monitoring the elephant’s condition, and all necessary veterinary and supportive measures are being continued to facilitate its recovery.

Thanks to the continued support of the Assam Forest Department and the Internatonal Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) in assisting with such interventions.