Here's a handy guide to keep feet of captive elephants healthy
The guide 'Healthy Feet, Healthy Elephants' has been prepared by the Project Elephant and the Elephant Cell at the Wildlife Institute of India.
It has included recommendations from an expert committee on maintaining captive elephants in a hygienic atmosphere.
Foot problems are among the leading causes of morbidity in captive elephants. Their feet are particularly vulnerable to a range of ailments that can significantly impact their health, comfort, and longevity. Limited movement, altered foraging behaviour and exposure to artificial substrates are prime factors.
Abscesses, cracks, foot rot, arthritis, and even fatal infections are often found in captive elephants.
The guide will provide a deep understanding of the biological and anatomical basis of the elephant feet, diet, and impact of substrate on foot health.
It offers practical, hands-on instructions for foot inspection, trimming, treatment and prevention. The document also helps the budding veterinarians to do quick reference and is a training resource that encourages regular, preventive foot care.
"One of the most important aspects of an elephant is its foot. For an elephant, the foot is as important as the heart, and the new guidelines will be useful for the veterinarians, temple authorities, and private owners to take care of the animals," said Kirti Vardhan Singh, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, who released the guide during the World Elephant Day 2025 celebration in Coimbatore on Tuesday.
Dr N Kalaivanan, Forest Veterinary Officer at the Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve and one of the contributors to the guide, said "In humans, cattle, and most other wild animals, the digits (fingers and toes) are separated. If one gets infected, it can affect the entire leg. But in elephants, the digits are structured together to support their massive weight. Elephants actually stand on their toes, and an average adult weighs between 4,000 and 4,500 kilograms. They also use their feet to communicate by stomping the ground, sending seismic signals that other elephants can detect up to a kilometer away. Remarkably, they can even sense seismic waves from earthquakes occurring as far as 100 km away.
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