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By India Today News Desk: Elephant Balarama, known for his participation in the famous Mysuru Dasara, died on Sunday as a result of age-related illnesses. At the age of 67, he had been struggling with several infections and had refrained from consuming food or liquids for an extended period.
According to forest department officials and veterinarians, Balarama was suffering from tuberculosis. He started showing signs of illness on April 19.
“He had stopped eating and drinking. When we diagnosed them, he found a sharp wooden piece stuck in his rectum. It had to be removed manually, following which IV fluids and a liquid diet were started. He started eating bamboo but then stopped eating again. An endoscopy was done earlier this week and blood stains were found in the rectum, infection in the trachea and puss. All reports confirmed that he was suffering from tuberculosis for which the treatment was started, but all efforts failed,” said Nagarhole Tiger Reserve staffers were quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.
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Balarama, who was captured in Hassan in 1987 and was 30 years old at the time, had been receiving medical care at the Bheemankatte elephant camp when he passed away. The tusker, who was born in 1958, had carried the Golden Howdah for 14 years, the longest period for any tusker.
According to senior forest department officials, Balarama was a majestic and serene-looking elephant who was widely favored. He was also employed to train other howdah tuskers and to keep other camp elephants calm.
Despite weighing roughly 4,000 kg, Balarama’s weight had fallen to around 3,200 kg. The forest department personnel will conduct the postmortem on Monday, and he will be given a state funeral.
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Due to his tuberculosis infection, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has instructed that Balarama’s carcass not be left for vultures to feed on.
According to officials, most of the camp elephants have tuberculosis, and there is a risk of mahouts and kawadis being infected. Annual checkups are conducted to ensure that any infections are under control. Balarama had TB, but his mahout tested negative.
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