THRISSUR: Captive elephants in the country will soon have 'health cards' containing details about their medical condition and a photograph.
The first stage, in which health cards will be issued for 800 captive elephants, has commenced, Jacob V Cheeran, Adviser of the Bangalore-based Asia Elephant Research and Conservation Centre (AERCC) that is undertaking the project, said.
All the elephants would be examined free of cost with the assistance of a 'Mobile Elephant Clinic'.
The animals would be examined in detail and a health card with a photograph of the jumbo would be given to the owners, Cheeran said in a statement here.
All details regarding the health condition of the elephant would be mentioned in the card which would make any treatment of the pachyderm easier, he said.
The scheme is being financed by the Bangalore-based Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANC) and Compassion Unlimted Plus Action (CUPA), Cheeran added.
The Elephants Study Centre of the Kerala Agricultural University, Elephant Protection Samithi and other national research centres of the country are also actively
participating in the health card distribution scheme, Cheeran added.
