Abandoned calf dies at Mudumalai camp

Though its chances of survival was slim, it was taken there with a hope that it could revive with better care. Experts in the department said that elephant calves, especially during the first few days, solely depend on their mother’s milk. Therefore, a drink similar to the mother’s feed was prepared by the department veterinarians. Treated at a separate enclosure at the Theppakadu camp it showed signs of improvement for more than 10 days. It’s condition suddenly worsened on Saturday night when it developed diarrhoea. Care and treatment were intensified. It was also given supplements but all efforts went in vain and it died on Sunday morning. 

Senior forest department officials said the calf could have been abandoned by its mother as it was born premature or because it was ill and the herd came to know that it would not survive. There is also a possibility of the calf being abandoned if it had lost its mother. Two days before the calf was found abandoned, a female elephant was found dead near that place, raising suspicion that it could have been the calf’s mother. This claim was ruled out by forest department officials. 

A post-mortem conducted on the calf’s body showed that it had an enlarged heart, and that it could be have born premature. A senior department official said, that this could be the reason it was abandoned by its mother. 

The calf, just 10 days old, was found abandoned at Thattapallam in the Sirumugai range while the forest staff were on patrol on October 14. The forest staff informed the higher officials on sighting the calf around 10 am. Forest officials rushed to the spot and saw that it was very weak. It was then decided to house it in the Theppakadu elephant camp. The camp houses 27 tamed elephants.

A day-long wait for its mother went in vain, said the officials. Though the calf was fed with milk and glucose water, it remained weak.