Dhenkanal: After battling with life for three days, an eight-month-old jumbo calf breathed its last during treatment Tuesday.
Even as animal lovers are yet to come to term with the death of seven tuskers due to electrocution in Dhenkanal, the death of the pachyderm has again brought resentment among animal lovers.
Officials revealed the jumbo calf was facing trouble in breathing and was affected with an infection in its mouth. It was not able to take food due to the infection. It was also suffering from fever.
It was undergoing treatment with fluid therapy and antibiotics in Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar. Officials performed the autopsy of the carcass and buried it.
It may be noted here that the calf was first spotted lying unwell inside Hitinda forest under Hindol forest area in this district.
Locals spotted the pachyderm Saturday morning and alerted the forest officials. After getting information, forest officials reached the forest and began the treatment of the pachyderm.
First the forest officials Sudarshan Patra, Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) Jitendra Nath Das, Ranger Madhusdan Patra, and Forester Bikram Sethi rescued the jumbo and took it to the local veterinary hospital. After preliminary treatment, the forest officials had transported it to Bhubaneswar for further treatment. However, the efforts of the officials turned futile.
The rising deaths of jumbos in the state have now become a matter of concern. A day back, an elephant calf was spotted dead inside Satkosia forest. The report comes days after the death of Royal Bengal Tiger ‘Mahavir’ in Satkosia.
Similarly, a pachyderm was knocked down to death by a speeding train in Keonjhar. Moreover, three more tuskers were electrocuted to death in Keonjhar and Angul district a few days back. This apart, the death of seven elephants in Dhenkanal due to electrocution is yet to erase from the mind of animal lovers.
Locals expressed resentment over the rise in the number of jumbo deaths and demanded immediate steps in this regard.
PNN
