Efforts continue to reunite lone baby elephant with herd

COIMBATORE: Desperate efforts were on to reunite a baby elephant, which was rescued from Sigurhalla River near Mavanallah with its herd in the Nilgiris, for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

The elephant, barely one month old, was swept away in the gushing waters of a flooded river following heavy rains in the hill district. Acting on a tip from villagers, forest department officials rescued the trapped animal and found it to be in normal health.

The elephant was left inside the forest area on Monday night believing that it would be taken back by its mother elephant. However, belying the expectations of the forest department, the calf continued to stay alone on Tuesday morning.

“Six teams of the forest department perambulated the forest area and found the baby elephant standing beneath a tree at Jagalikadavu forest in Segur range. Its mother could not be seen around. So, the calf was fed with glucose and coconut water. A search is under way to locate the mother elephant to facilitate its reunion,” said an official.

In another wildlife-related development, a herd of wild elephants went on a rampage on Monday night, damaging the store room of ‘O’ Valley town panchayat office, a government primary school building and its library, all located in the same premises. Walls of the classroom have developed cracks and remain precarious.