Haathi Seva: India’s First Elephant Mobile Clinic Launched In Assam, To Help Distressed Pachyderms

Guwahati, March 3 (TNA) Prominent conservation NGO Wildlife SOS has expanded its efforts to protect elephants by launching India’s first elephant mobile clinic named ‘Haathi Sewa’. The clinic was officially launched amid an international health and treatment camp for elephants at the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, conducted in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department.

To provide medical help to distressed elephants in need of urgent treatment and care, Wildlife SOS has launched India’s first-ever elephant mobile clinic. Working to conserve Asian elephants in India, the organisation is striving for better welfare conditions for the pachyderms. Named ‘Haathi Sewa’, the mobile clinic aims to assist elephants requiring medical intervention throughout India.

As part of the mobile clinic, an expert team of veterinarians and caregivers will assist injured, blind and handicapped elephants on-field from issues such as lameness, foot infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and joint swelling and pain, to name a few. The clinic is part of Wildlife SOS’ larger ‘begging elephant campaign’, where it will provide medical outreach to exploited captive elephants commercially used for begging on streets.

The elephant mobile clinic was launched amidst an international elephant health camp taking place in Assam, where veterinarians conducted health check-ups of over 50 elephants. The camp extended medical support and assistance to the working elephants used for anti-poaching efforts and patrolling duties in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, and Merapani Forest Reserve. The camp will conduct its last leg in Manas National Park.

Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder & CEO, Wildlife SOS remarked, “We are proud to finally launch India’s first elephant mobile health clinic with the target of providing medical outreach, treatment and care. With this initiative we wish to treat elephants throughout the country in dire need of medical intervention.”

Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder and Secretary, Wildlife SOS expressed, “Many captive elephants do not have the luxury to afford treatment and care, and live in miserable conditions. As a result, many of them die prematurely. We launched the mobile clinic with the exact aim of preventing these unnecessary deaths.”