“In a few months the Kerala forest department will open the first old age home for captive elephants in the country at Kottoor, 70km from Thiruvananthapuram.” – Gulfnews

“Take Kerala’s love for elephants and add to it an elephant who is turning one and what you get is a gala birthday bash.” – IBN Live

“To prevent elephants being hit by speeding trains, the ministries of environment and forests and of railways are considering setting up barbed wire fencing along several hundred kilometres of rail tracks in the Western Ghat forests straddling the borders of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. The move comes after the death of a pregnant elephant, along with two other elephants, when they were hit by a train passing between Pothanur and Madhukkari stations, about 20 km from the textile town of Coimbatore, in the early hours of Feb 4.” – Thaindian News

“The Kerala government on Saturday directed officials concerned to strictly implement laws under The Captive Elephant Management Rules following a rise in the number of incidents involving elephants participating in temple festivals becoming wild,causing hardship to people.” – The Hindu

“Environmentalists and wildlife activists have pressed the panic button in the elephant corridor connecting Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu where the Asian tusker is under siege.” – Sify.com

“Incidents of elephants running amok have been on the rise in Kerala over the last few years. Violent pachyderms have killed several people and damaged property. Animal lovers have often attributed the unruly behaviour of captive elephants to ill-treatment or neglect at the hands of mahouts.”- The Hindu

“Border guards today shot down a mad elephant after it killed a farmer and injured 20 others in a frontier village of northern Bangladesh, about 400 km from here.” – New Kerala

“An elephant camp located here in the Malayatoor Forest Division is under Herpes virus threat, which has already taken lives of two young baby calves.
The camp, which was once a hot tourist destination in the Kerala map for being a unique elephant orphanage, is facing tough time with the outbreak of the viral disease.
Forest officials have started transferring elephants to nearby areas to avoid worsening of the situation, and have sprinkled bleaching powder and phenol to control the infection.” – Thaindian News

“The Kerala government on Sunday ordered a probe into the death of two baby elephants at a camp for the pachyderms at Kodanad in Ernakulam district.” – The Hindu

“Kapil is one of three tuskers ? kumkis (tamed elephants) in foresters? parlance ? which have been pressed into service in the jungles adjoining the borders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to drive away a herd of four wild elephants.” – The Telegraph

“Asia’s tallest elephant died, aged 51, on his way to take part in a temple festival in Kerala, southwestern India, the Times of India said on Monday.” – RIA Novosti

“One and a half year old Bharti is still struggling to stand up. She was found by the caretakers at the elephant training camp at Kodanad in central Kerala last year with severe injuries. The baby elephant was apparently carried by the currents of the rain-swollen Chaliyar River in Nilambur district. Caretakers at the centre have now switched to ayurvedic treatment.” – IBN

“Elephants in Kerala are set to enjoy a brighter future thanks to a new set of Forest Department rules aimed at ensuring their general welfare.” – Gulfnews

“Assam along with Bihar and Kerala have asked the Ministry of Environment and Forest to relax the prohibition on sale of elephants by amending the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. According to provisions of the Act, transfer of elephants by way of it or by other mode of consideration of commercial nature is prohibited. It is estimated that number of captive elephants in the country is between 3400-3600, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest, S Reghupathy said.
” – The Assam Tribune Online

“From three-year-old Unnikuttan to 95-year-old Gangadharan, a dozen elephants queued up as the Kerala government Saturday launched its programme of implanting a microchip in them in place of registration papers. ” – The Economic Times

“An elephant owned by the Guruvayur Devaswom Noard killed its Mahout in Thrissur district of Kerala. ” – NDTV.com

“As the rain Gods come smiling, the elephants of Kerala are having the best time of their lives. It is also time for their annual ayurvedic rejuvenation therapy.” – IBNLive.com

“A central government funded census of wild elephants will be conducted in the forests of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for three days beginning May 8. ” – The Times of India