After surviving the devastating floods in Nagaland and sustaining multiple serious injuries, 53-year-old elephant Joymoti has now reached Vantara in Jamnagar. She is currently under specialised veterinary care and receiving treatment for the injuries and health complications she sustained. Joymoti was swept away by floodwaters in Nagaland during the second week of July. She was subsequently rescued by local communities with support from government agencies. The ordeal left her with several injuries, including wounds to her forehead, right ear, the area above her tail, left inner thigh, and abdomen. She also sustained a deep, maggot-infested wound around her external genital area. Her right eye has been severely damaged, leaving her blind in that eye and experiencing persistent tearing.
Adding to these challenges, Joymoti has longstanding lameness in her left hind leg caused by a fracture sustained during logging. The condition affects her mobility and makes everyday activities such as reaching food and water more difficult.
She received immediate first aid and primary veterinary care following her rescue, including wound dressing, pain management, multivitamin and mineral supplementation and supportive treatment. However, the number and severity of her injuries, combined with her age and existing mobility limitations, mean that she now requires a higher level of specialised veterinary intervention.
Her journey to Vantara is being undertaken specifically to address these medical needs. Air transport has been chosen to minimise the time and physical demands associated with a long-distance ground journey, allowing Joymoti to reach a specialised elephant hospital as quickly and safely as possible. At Vantara, she will undergo a comprehensive veterinary examination to assess her overall health and determine the course of treatment. Her care will include specialised management of her wounds and eye condition, along with nutritional, medical and supportive care tailored to her recovery.
A Carefully Planned Medical Airlift
Airlifting an elephant for intensive medical treatment is a first-of-its-kind undertaking in India and requires meticulous coordination between veterinary, animal-care and logistics teams. During Joymoti’s transfer to Vantara, her health and welfare remained the priority throughout the process. Her condition is assessed before the journey, while specialised protocols are followed for her handling, loading, monitoring during the flight, and arrival at the hospital. Every stage was carefully managed to minimise stress, discomfort and physical exertion. For an elephant coping with multiple injuries and mobility limitations, shortening the duration of a long-distance journey is especially important. Air transport helps avoid the physical strain of prolonged ground travel while enabling Joymoti to reach specialised veterinary care in a shorter period.
Building Veterinary Capacity Closer to Wildlife Habitats
Joymoti’s experience also brings attention to the need for specialised wildlife healthcare facilities in regions where animals are exposed to emergencies such as floods and human-wildlife conflict.
To help strengthen local veterinary response, Vantara has proposed three wildlife veterinary care centres in Assam, including a dedicated elephant facility. These centres are envisioned to provide species-specific infrastructure and veterinary support, allowing wildlife requiring urgent intervention to receive appropriate care closer to where emergencies occur.
The proposed facilities would function independently under the Assam Forest Department. The aim is to strengthen local capacity and reduce the need for animals to undertake long-distance journeys whenever specialised treatment can be provided closer to their habitat.
Joymoti’s transfer to Vantara is strictly for medical treatment and is not a permanent relocation. Once she has recovered and is medically fit to return, she will go back to her natural habitat.
For now, the priority is simple: giving Joymoti the specialised treatment, nutrition and support she needs to recover and regain the best possible quality of life.
