Wild Tusker Agbo

 Wild Tusker "Agbo"

ANURADHAPURA, Sri Lanka — “He is a king without a crown.” This is how wildlife lovers refer to the majestic elephant Agbo, named after a king from an ancient kingdom of humans overlapping with some areas of Agbo’s home range in north-central Sri Lanka.

Agbo is among the largest Sri Lankan tuskers, so there was no challenge for him in the wilderness, but one fateful day, Agbo fell victim to a trap gun set by a hunter.

Several metal pellets penetrated Agbo’s left front leg, making it hard to move. Agbo, a beast known for its majestic appearance and movements, was making painful ugly hops to move forward. Noticing the elephant’s plight, villagers in Thirappane (where Agbo was shot) notified the local office of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC), which quickly dispatched a team to take care of the wounded tusker.

The wildlife team sedated the elephant, and a closer look revealed the severity of the wounds. “The metal pellets have penetrated Agbo’s front left leg, which made him nearly immobile and the leg was swollen with signs of infection,” said Tharaka Prasad, DWC chief veterinary surgeon who oversaw Agbo’s treatment.

The vets also took a scanner to the field to X-ray Agbo’s leg to assess the extent of injury. “The bullets by the trap gun caused injury to the elephant’s wrist joint,” Tharaka told Mongabay. The wildlife team initially camped out and had to regularly visit the elephant for treatment.

Making their fear a reality, Agbo was once again shot at, in early November. Five bullets were wedged into his back leg and the wildlife veterinary team had to sedate the elephant all over again to remove the bullets from his body.