Hampi temple elephant Lakshmi diagnosed with severe foot and skin disorders
Lakshmi, a 40-year-old captive elephant from the centuries-old Sri Virupaksheshwara Temple in Hampi, has been diagnosed with severe foot and skin disorders, chronic foot disease, and nutritional deficiencies. Following a health assessment by government veterinarians, Lakshmi was shifted to the Elephant Care Facility in Malur, Kolar, on the afternoon of May 27th, despite protests from local residents.
Veterinary personnel from the Veterinary Department in Vijayanagar district conducted the comprehensive clinical assessment. Their report revealed an alarming picture of the elephant's deteriorating physical and psychological condition, describing her living conditions as medically and ethically unsuitable. The assessment noted that Lakshmi was suffering from severe skin disorders, lameness, nutritional deficiencies, and behavioural distress due to prolonged confinement, inadequate care, and unnatural living conditions.
The medical examination documented visible signs of prolonged suffering on Lakshmi's body. Veterinarians recorded hyperkeratosis, thickened skin, fungal and bacterial infections, depigmented lesions, and chronic skin damage. The report attributed the skin damage and compromised integrity to the elephant repeatedly resting on the hard stone flooring of the temple without any proper cushioning or bedding.
In addition to skin conditions, experts detected Grade-2 lameness in Lakshmi's hind limbs. The examination showed an abnormal weight-bearing posture and altered gait biomechanics, which suggest chronic pododermatitis and degenerative musculoskeletal stress. The veterinary report cautioned that the condition could worsen into irreversible osteoarthritis and severe foot-related disease unless immediate corrective measures are implemented.
The assessment also raised significant concerns regarding the elephant's diet. Veterinarians observed that Lakshmi was sustained largely on a diet of dry grass, minimal green fodder, and bananas offered by temple devotees. Experts described this feeding pattern as a gross nutritional deficiency. Treatment and care have since commenced at the Malur facility.
