Kerala - Kochi   

Elephants to get microchips today

IDENTITY TAG: The Forest Department will micro-chip domesticated elephants of Ernakulam district on Wednesday. — Photo: H. Vibhu

Elephants in and around Kochi will wear microchips from Wednesday. It is an initiative by the State Forest Department. Elephant Care, an organisation engaged in `providing a decent environment and congenial life to the domesticated elephants,' is the facilitator.

The microchips will be embedded in the skin behind the left ear of the elephants. Each animal will be given a 10-digit code, which will serve as the e-ID of the animal.

Forest Department veterinary surgeon E.K. Easwaran will lead the team of experts in the implantation programme. It would cost Rs.5000 for the department to implant one microchip.

The programme will be held on the Marattil Kottaram Bhagavathi Temple grounds at 10 a.m. The organisers plan to microchip around 25 elephants at the programme.

The microchip will serve as an identity card for the animal. And the recognition of the animal will be easier with the chip reader identifying the number. Nearly 100 elephants have been microchipped in the State so far and more are to be microchipped.

K.S. Sudhi

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