Angul: Forest officials’ efforts to reunite an elephant calf with its herd went in vain as the pachyderms refused to take the newborn calf back.
The 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued after it got trapped in the muck on a paddy field while feeding on the crops Friday night. Though forest officials released the calf near its herd the next morning, the animals refused to take it back, raising suspicion that the animal might be suffering from an infectious disease.
According to reports, a herd of around 45 elephants has been roaming near the villages on the outskirts of Angul town for months. The herd had moved towards Shyamsundarpur to feed on paddy Friday night. By morning, they had crossed towards the Mandargiri area, leaving the trapped calf behind in the slushy paddy field.
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A rescue team led by Angul Forest Department official Ranjan Pradhan reached the site, lifted the calf from the mud, and later shifted it near the Kulasinga forest beat house. Acting on a veterinarian’s advice, the team conducted a medical examination, which revealed that the calf’s body temperature had dropped due to exposure to cold water and mud. The animal was given fluids and antibiotics.
Divisional Forest Officer Nitish Kumar supervised the rescue operation and stayed overnight at the site to monitor the situation. To prevent the herd from rejecting the calf due to human body odour, forest staff smeared its body with mud and elephant dung before attempting to reunite it with the herd.
Despite their efforts, the herd did not accept the calf. Officials said another attempt to reunite the calf with its group will be made Sunday night. If the herd continues to reject it, the animal will be relocated as per the state Forest Department’s direction.
Meanwhile, blood samples from the calf have been collected and sent for examination. The infections, if any, will be confirmed once the reports arrive, officials added.
PNN
