The Government has formulated guidelines for mercy killing of elephants suffering from debilitating injury in a bid to relieve the animal from pain and distress. The move has come in the wake of the case of Arundhati, an aging elephant which died after suffering for long due to a fractured leg in Uttrakhand late last year. While authorities debated over the mercy killing, the pachyderm went through severe agony in the process and died before it could be put to sleep. "It was a sort of wake up call for us. To ensure that such incidents do not repeat and animals do not suffer for long due to incapacitation. The guidelines have been chalked out,' AN Prasad, Director of Project Elephant of Environment Ministry, told PTI. "The norms will help the Chief Wildlife Wardens of the State to take quick and correct decision in case they come across cases of injured jumbos whose treatment is impossible,' he said. Prasad said: "It is proposed that euthanasia of elephants may be carried out only in the specific circumstances when the elephant is in such agony or pain that it is cruel to keep it alive.' The Government has set up a panel comprising experts from veterinary field, animal welfare NGOs and Zoos which will give approval whether the animal can be put to sleep or treatment can ensure its cure. Three prominent veterinary experts each from College of Veterinary Sciences in Asom and Centre for Studies on Elephants in Kerala and one from IVRI in Izzatnagar in UP will represent the panel, Prasad said.