Summer has turned into a crowd-pulling spectacle at the Konni elephant training camp, with visitors flocking in to watch the resident elephants feast on juicy fruits, revel under cooling showers, and enjoy playful bath sessions to beat the heat.
A popular attraction in Pathanamthitta, the camp has introduced a special summer care routine for its elephants. Served every forenoon, the menu features a mix of crushed watermelon, cucumber, bananas, and carrots, all washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
Shinoj M.S., the officer overseeing the summer food programme, said it is a delight to watch the elephants relish the cooling treats. “They are thoroughly enjoying it,” he said.
He explained that the elephants’ regular diet also includes succulent grass cultivated at the camp while they are also given a medicinal diet of rice and millets during specific seasons. The special dietary programme is being carried out under the supervision of a forest veterinary officer, with additional expenses met from the livestock budget of the training camp.
Along with the summer menu, the elephants are offered water showers four times a day, besides refreshing scrub baths every morning. Each shower session lasts around 20 to 25 minutes, helping reduce body temperature. In addition to the showers, the elephants are bathed in the traditional way inside their enclosures, with water poured over them up to three times a day, officials said.
