Bhubaneswar: An elephant calf, rejected by its mother due to human contact, was transferred from Angul’s Kulasingha nursery to Kapilash Elephant Rescue Centre on Sunday. Despite multiple attempts by the forest department, the mother elephant refused to reunite with its calf.
According to reports, the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and Mobile Veterinary Unit coordinated the transfer, ensuring the calf’s safety and well-being. At Kapilash, the calf will receive proper care and 24-hour monitoring, said Angul Forest Division Officer Nitesh Kumar.
A herd of 22 elephants residing in the Mandargiri hills had damaged paddy crops in the Sardhapur Shyamsundarpur area under Angul block on November 7. During their nocturnal movement, a baby elephant got trapped in the slush of a paddy field and was accidentally left behind. The calf had struggled throughout the night to free itself. The herd abandoned the calf and left as dawn broke.
The forest department rescued the calf in the next morning and provided medical care at Kulasingha Nursery due to its poor health. After the calf’s health improved, attempts were made to reunite it with the herd on November 8, but were unsuccessful. On November 9, the herd’s location was tracked using a drone, and another attempt was made to reunite the calf with the herd. The calf was smeared with elephant dung and released near the herd, but the mother elephant refused to accept it, leading to the calf being returned to Kulasingha Nursery.
