An elephant calf that was found abandoned near Periyanaickenpalayam in Coimbatore district on April 6, 2024, was taken to the Theppakadu elephant camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), Nilgiris, on Wednesday, April 10.
The decision to move the male calf, aged around three months, to the elephant camp, was taken late on Tuesday, April 9, after a final attempt made by the Forest Department staff to reunite the animal with its herd, did not yield any result.
The forest veterinary officer of MTR examined the calf upon arrival on Wednesday morning.
MTR Field Director D. Venkatesh said a mahout will be assigned to take care of the calf by Thursday. The staff at the elephant camp are already taking care of another elephant calf that was found abandoned at the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve recently.
The elephant camp has two kraals (wooden enclosures) in which the two calves will be sheltered and taken care of by the staff. There is also an enclosure spanning 25 cents in the camp for the rescued calves to move around and get accustomed to the camp atmosphere inside the forest safely.
The calf was found abandoned near the forest boundary in Govanur village near Periyanaickenpalayam on the morning of April 6. The field staff first managed to take the calf to a herd with a lactating elephant. However, the calf was found abandoned again after two attempts to reunite. Subsequent efforts made by the staff to reunite the calf in the following days also failed, as the herd did not accept the calf.
With the last attempt made on Tuesday evening also not yielding any result, higher officials in the department ordered the transfer of the calf to the elephant camp.
