A temple elephant, long in the tooth

“Narayanan has a problem. The 40-year-old elephant, owned by the Cochin Devaswom Board, has over-grown tusks. These impede its free movement and make it difficult for it to move its trunk. And, the growth is continuing, with the two tusks tending to converge. The Board wanted to trim them, but it needed mandatory clearance from the State Forest Department for such a procedure, and the Department was not easily convinced.” – The Hindu