India's first specialised hospital to treat elephants opens in Uttar Pradesh

Agra: A hospital to treat injured, sick and ageing elephants was inaugurated in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura district on Friday.

Wildlife SOS, a conservation non-governmental organisation, has established the fully-equipped hospital in collaboration with the state Forest Department. The hospital has the latest technology and medical facilities, including hydrotherapy, wireless digital X-ray, ultrasonography.

Located in Churmura village in Farah block, the hospital is equipped with a medical hoist for lifting elephants requiring critical care, a pathology laboratory, digital weighing machine, elephant restraining device and a dedicated indoor treatment enclosure for longer medical procedures.

An observation deck will allow veterinary students and interns to observe and learn elephant treatment routines from a safe distance. It was inaugurated by Agra Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar.

"There are hundreds of elephants in India suffering from poor health, blindness, lameness and severe distress. This elephant hospital has the capacity to give these animals the critical medical care they require. We hope this will be (a) model for other states to follow," Baiju Raj M V, director, conservation said.

Wildlife SOS was established in 1998. It runs a sloth bear rescue centre and an elephant care centre in Agra.