COIMBATORE: As multiple efforts to reunite a stranded elephant calf with its mother failed in Coimbatore, it was taken to Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) in the Nilgiris.
The male calf weighing around 150 kgs is in good health. A dedicated team of veterinarians has been deployed to monitor the health of the elephant, which is being provided with lactogen milk in a feeding bottle and vitamin supplements.
The calf was separated from its mother, which was revived from ailment after treatment on the foothills of Marudamalai Hills a week ago. Both the mother and its herd refused to accept the calf elephant despite multiple attempts by the forest department. Therefore, it was decided to raise the calf in the elephant camp.
Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests posted on ‘X’ saying, “a feeling beyond words as we warmly embrace a three months old baby elephant in our care, who has been abandoned by his mother. The mother was found sick and lying on the ground with her baby roaming around her in panic on 3 June in Coimbatore. The foresters lifted her up with a crane and treated her for almost three days. She regained health and joined her herd; however she consistently refused to accept the baby elephant, despite best efforts by the forest department. So the baby has been brought to the elephant camp, where it will have the company of two other baby elephants and 27 adults.”