ERODE: A two-month-old motherless female elephant calf found in Arepalayam forest under Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in the district will be shifted to Mudumalai elephant camp, forest officials said on Friday.

According to forest personnel, a female elephant aged around 35 to 40 years came to Bannari forest here on March 3 along with its 60-day-old calf in search of water and food.

Noticing the elephant in a distressed condition, the villagers informed the STR officials who along with a veterinary doctor visited the spot and treated the ailing elephant with fluids and necessary medication. Despite the best efforts of the forest department, the mother elephant succumbed to her ailments on March 5. Later, the officials reunited the baby calf with its elephant herd in STR.

However, the public noticed the baby calf near the Arepalayam Forest located within the Hassanure Forest Range of STR on Thursday and informed the forest officials who rescued it. The officials said the baby elephant will be shifted to the Mudumalai elephant camp within two days, where it will join with other elephants.

Meanwhile, two persons were killed in Udhagamandalam on Friday in different instances of wild elephant attack, Forest Department officials said. 50-year-old Madev was attacked by a pachyderm at the Devan Estate area in Gudalur and succumbed to his injuries at the local government hospital, they said. Similarly, at Moyar village, Nagaraj (51) was attacked and killed by a wild elephant outside his house.