Abandoned by herd, calf shifted to Mudumalai

The male calf aged about 10 days (or lesser) was responding to treatment. Officials in the tiger reserve said that the calf was slowly responding to treatment and that its condition could be ascertained only after observing it for a couple of days. 

Forest officials said that villagers saw the calf with a herd that came to the Bhavani catchment area for drinking water early in the morning on Thursday. Later the calf was found abandoned in a private farm land close to the forest boundary near Thattapallam in the Pethikuttai section of Sirumugai Range. Forest officials said that the calf still has the umbilical cord attached and they suspect that it could have been abandoned as it was a premature one. A senior forest official said that the calf weighed only about 45 kg and its height and circumference showed that it was a premature calf. “It could not stand on its feet. It was first given some milk and electrolyte after which it managed to stand. Since calves of this age survive only on mother’s milk, veterinarian Ashokan from the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve prepared a liquid similar to it,” the official said. 

As the calf showed mild improvement it was taken to the Sirumugai Range office. On the advice of the Chief Wildlife Warden it was carefully sent to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve on Friday evening for specialised care. It was sent in a special caravan of the department used to transport jumbos. 

A senior department officer said that the chance of survival of the calf was very slim as it needed mother’s milk to develop immunity. However, they said the calf was also showing signs of improvement as it tried to stand once in a while.