Elephant dies as protective calf stops forest personnel from giving medicare

Forest department personnel said that the pale looking mother suspected to be suffering from worms in the intestine came out of the forest and strayed into agricultural lands in the wee hours of Wednesday. 

Around 6.30 am, the elephant fell down near a cow shed. Alerted by farmers, a team of about 40 forest department personnel rushed to the spot to treat it. But the agitated calf, only a few months old, chased those who tried to get close to its mother. With efforts getting delayed, forest personnel poured water on the calf and covered the mother with coconut tree leaves to protect them from the sun. 

Efforts to drive the calf using an earth mover also went in vain. After a long struggle the forest personnel caught the calf with ropes tied to its neck and leg and took it aside. “But on examining the mother in the evening we came to know that it was already dead. We have given first aid for the calf as it suffered minor injuries in the rescue operation,” the District Forest Officer (DFO) of Erode A Anand said.