Rampaging elephant shifted from Tirumala

​Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) temple elephant Avanija, which was involved in the attack on a mahout, a few days back in Tirumala, was shifted to Goshala, down the hills where it will be kept in observation in the elephants’ shed here.

Following the incident in which the pachyderm attacked mahout Gangaiah, leaving him injured while it was being taken for leading a procession of the deity on Monday.

The TTD authorities took off the animal from being deployed for the temple rituals like daily Utsavams and kept it under observation in the Goshala on the hills.

The incident which created a flutter also prompted the TTD authorities to take corrective steps to avoid such unpleasant incidents in future.

As a first step towards ensuring the safety of pilgrims as well as a the staff, the TTD authorities decided to withdraw Avanija from engaging it in temple rituals to keep it under observation for some more time.

When contacted the TTD Dairy Farm director Haranatha Reddy confirmed the withdrawal of Avanija’s services from temple events saying that the former is under observation and it will be fed with nutritious feed, vitamin-enriched medicine for some time. An experienced veterinarian in the dairy farm will examine it until it resumes its temple duties.

Reddy said that the TTD decided to conduct a reorientation programme for the animal keepers and the mahouts who are engaged in taking care of animals, including six elephants and other animals being engaged in rituals and religious events and also train the elephants.

Accordingly, the TTD roped in the senior staff from Mudumalai elephant sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) and also the trainers in Trissur in Kerala that is known for housing a good number of temple elephants, for the reorientation of mahouts and the staff engaged in taking care of elephants , he explained.