Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai seeking his intervention to provide urgent medical treatment to an injured baby elephant in Nagarhole Tiger Reserve.
Mr Gandhi said he came across the “painful sight” of an injured baby elephant with its mother when he and the Congress President Sonia Gandhi briefly visited the Tiger Reserve.
“The little calf has a severely injured tail and trunk, and is fighting for its life”, he said.
Though he said he understood that the nature must be allowed to take its course, Mr Gandhi, a Congress MP, said that in the case of endangered and iconic species, exceptions are often made depending on the severity of the situation. “The aforementioned calf is undoubtedly in need of urgent medical care”, he said.
“Therefore, I wanted to cross political boundaries and appeal to your sense of compassion to intervene and save the little elephant”, Mr Gandhi said.
“I am confident that it will survive if given proper treatment. I hope you will extend timely assistance and save the iconic little elephant” he said.
Mr Gandhi is leading the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. The padayatra, which is on a two-day break due to Dasara festivities, is scheduled to resume from Pandavapura in Mandya district on Thursday.
Ms. Sonia Gandhi is also expected to join the march on Thursday.
