Mudumalai expert panel to decide on tusker Rivaldo's release into forest

Chennai, June 22 (IANS) The Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) will constitute an expert committee comprising of NGOs, veterinarians, and officials to decide on when to release Tusker Rivaldo back into the forests.The tusker had injured its trunk and has been under treatment at an elephant care centre at Vazhaithottam in Nilgiris district.K.K.Kaushal, MTR field director has directed officials to constitute the committee comprising of senior veterinarians and NGO's working in the field of elephant care and elephant studies to take a decision to release the tusker back into the forests.The MTR officials decided to take expert opinion after there was confusion regarding its surgery on whether to make the tusker's trunk hole larger.An MTR official told IANS: "Rivaldo is eating and cooperating well with the mahouts and the veterinarians of the care centre who are taking care of him."Rivaldo had to be lured with the help of other elephants into the Kraal to treat his injury on the trunk and to treat his vision impairment.
--IANS aal/in