There is a new celebrity drawing in hordes of tourists at the Kodanad elephant training centre on the banks of the Periyar River — a six-month-old baby elephant.
Thanks to its antics, the sleepy tourist spot of Kodanad elephant training centre is again bustling with activity. “The news of its arrival has spread so fast that people even from distant areas are arriving here to catch a glimpse,” said an official of the centre.
The calf was brought to here from the Prambikkulam forest division on Thursday for training and has been put up in the unique wooden elephant kraal under special care.
The department has also placed two mahouts on a round-the-clock basis to take care of the new entrant.
But the visitors coming in are a tad disappointed since they are not being allowed to see the impish, playful acts of the baby elephant from close quarters to avoid the risk of infection.
“The calf is currently on medication and letting the visitors in at this point of time will surely affect its health,” said an elephant trainer. “As of now, it is being given baby food and tender coconut.”
With the entry of a new “trainee”, the number of elephants in the park here has gone up to six. The others are the seven-year-old Asha, five-year-old Anjana, six- year-old Parvathy, 15-year-old Neelakandan and 40- year-old Sunitha.
Kodanad is the only centre in Kerala specialised for rescuing and training stranded adult and baby elephants from forests.