Calf rescued in D’puri brought to MTR

COIMBATORE: A five-month-old orphaned elephant calf in Dharmapuri was brought to Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Friday after efforts to unite it with a herd failed.

The forest department has decided to raise the calf in the camp, under the care of Bomman and Bellie, the couple featured in the Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers.’

The calf, which was got lost in the forest, had slipped into a well in a private farm near Pennagaram. A team of forest department staff recently rescued it and found it to be healthy without any injuries.

Efforts were then taken to unite the calf with its mother by the forest department with the help of Bomman, who has expertise in this task. As their efforts didn’t yield the desired result, the elephant was taken in a truck from Pennagaram under the supervision of Bomman, forest department staff and veterinarians.

The calf reached MTR on Friday early morning and it was lodged in a kraal.