The State Government will organise a camp for temple elephants at Thekkampatti near Coimbatore in January.

According to a release, Ilambarithi, the Deputy Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Board (HR&CE) said that the Government would hold the camp in the 50-acre land near Bhawani coastal area at Thekkampatti, like it does every year.

“We would be conducting the 8th camp for 48 days in January 2016 and we would be spending Rs. 1.2 crore for it,” he said.

As many as 40 temple elephants from various places, including Palani, Srirangam, Thiruchandoor, Thiruvannamalai and Perur would be attending the camp.

“We would provide various facilities, including solar electric fences to avoid intrusion of wild elephants into the camp,” he added. He further stated that the elephants would not be allowed to bathe in the river as it was flooded adding that water would be sprayed on elephants through pipes and motors.

“Huts would be built to shelter mahouts. Elephants would be provided rice, gram, green gram, 200 kg of coconut leaves, grass and cake made of nutritional components,” he said. He added that the elephants would be trained to climb and get down from the lorry and unhealthy elephants would also be treated by the Animal Husbandry Department.

The Department of Forest, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board, and Department of Animal Husbandry, would jointly organise the camp.