The Forest Department rescued a gaur that had become incapacitated because of a PVC pipe getting stuck in its leg at Adhigaratty in the Kundha forest division on Monday.

The Forest Department said that the gaur was noticed by local residents with a piece of plastic pipe stuck in its leg, which had limited its movements over the last few days. As a result, a team of forest staff had been searching for the animal and tracked its movements. They kept a close watch on the animal after tracking it down and brought in senior forest veterinarians from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) to treat it.

On Monday, the gaur was tranquillized by veterinary assistant surgeon from MTR, Rajesh Kumar, following which the pipe was removed from its front leg. As the animal had suffered an injury to its leg, a team of forest staff worked to tend to its wounds.

Following the treatment, the animal was revived and released back into the surrounding forests. According to the officials from the Kundha forest range, the animal was being monitored following its release, and was seemingly on the road to recovery. “The animal was noticed to be grazing and also drinking water, while its mobility also seems to have improved. We will continue to monitor the animal for the next few days to ensure that it has the best chance to make a full recovery,” an official said.