Orphaned baby elephant taken to Theppakadu camp after many herds refuse to welcome it

COIMBATORE: After every effort taken by the Forest Department officials in Coimbatore to unite the motherless elephant calf with a herd failed, the barely month-old jumbo was taken to Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai on Monday.

“A final attempt was made to unite the calf elephant with a herd around 5.30 am. However, the herd refused to accept the calf. So it was taken to the camp,” said a Forest Department staff.

The stranded calf was rescued a few days ago after its lactating mother elephant died of a suspected infection. Since then, the calf has been fed with formula milk as per the advice of veterinarians. Over the last six days, the officials made nearly 10 attempts to unite the orphan calf with multiple herds that passed through the forest areas in Thadagam.

During every attempt, the personnel looked at certain aspects like the herd should have a lactating mother so that the calf gets adopted. However, all of them failed as the herds refused to accept the calf. For nearly a week, the calf is fed with formula milk and water as per the advice of veterinarians.

Mahouts from Kozhikamuthi elephant camp are now taking care of the calf to ensure that it has a better chance of survival.

Meanwhile, a wild elephant along with its calf ventured out of the forest area into farmlands in Ayarpadi near Karamadai in Coimbatore on Sunday night. Even as the operation to drive it away was under way, the panicked elephant and its calf moved towards Ayarpadi Road, forcing authorities to stop vehicle movement on the stretch for a while. Both the elephants were then chased into the forest area.

In another wildlife-related incident, a herd of wild elephants along with their calves entered Mudis Bazaar on Sunday, around 11.30 pm and damaged the grocery and tea shops.