The Indonesia Post – Taking care of patients is one of the doctor’s duties. But what if the one being treated is not a person instead of an elephant? Which is much bigger? Much heavier? And live in a dense forest? How does that feel?
Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma is the one who can answer it. He has been caring for elephants for decades. He has treated nearly 10 thousand elephants in India and Indonesia. He was so serious about taking care of elephants that he understood the elephant ‘language’.
“I spend more time with elephants than with my family,” he said as quoted by the BBC.
For Dr Sarma, taking care of elephants is his destiny. He has known elephants since childhood. While still living in Barma Village. A village in northern India, which belongs to the state of Assam.
Assam is home to 5 thousand elephants. There is also the Kaziranga National Park, which is recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
In the national park which has an area of 430 kilometers, there are lots of animals. Apart from elephants, there are rhinos, tigers and birds. This national park is also an international bird conservation.
When he was a child in the village, Dr Sarma had a little favorite elephant. Female elephant. Her name is Laxmi. Every afternoon he often walks around the village while riding Laxmi.
Apart from Laxmi, there are other elephants who fill his heart. Her name is Geeta. Also a female elephant. Dr Sarma got to know Geeta in the Kaziranga National Park.
His affection for Geeta was even more visible after he managed to save Geeta, who had to undergo surgery after being shot by an unknown person.
The incident occurred when Dr Sarma was in America. Suddenly he got a call informing him that an elephant had been shot. Not just one, but five times. There are five bullets lodged in Geeta’s body.
Dr Sarma was panicked. Confused what to do. He even had time to think about going back to India and canceling his trip to the country of “Uncle Sam”. But it was decided not to be. Cancel. But he still helped with the operation. He leads Geeta’s operations by telephone. Although the process was not as smooth as imagined, the “long distance” operation was successful. Three of the five bullets were successfully removed.
A week later, after returning from America, the professor of surgery and radiology rushes to see Geeta. To check her condition after the operation to remove bullets. To his surprise, Geeta is in good health. Although there were still two hot bullets in her body.
This alumni of the College of Veterinary Science Guwahati, Assam then continued the operation. Once this is done in person. Not by telephone as before. The operation was successful. The remaining two bullets were successfully removed. And Geeta’s life was saved.
Until now, at the age of 60, Dr Sarma is still working. Caring for and treating elephants. At a young age, the doctor who earlier this year received the Padma Shri award – the highest honor for civilians in India – is becoming “overwhelmed”. Moreover, the profession that he lives often puts his life at stake. Therefore, he hopes there will be a successor. Especially for the children who are expected to be able to continue their work to become “elephant doctors”.
The world needs people like Dr Sarma. Especially now that the population of elephants in the world continues to decline. It is currently estimated that the world’s elephant population is no more than 450 thousand. Hunting and clearing forests into plantation areas are slowly eroding elephant habitats.
In Indonesia, the elephant population is in a critical condition. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), currently only about 2,400 to 2,800 elephants remain. This number decreased by 32 percent of the elephant population in 1992. That is why we need elephat doctor. A doctor lika Dr Sarma. (jekk/bbs)
Comment