Kaziranga: A one and a half month old elephant calf was rescued from the central range of Karbi Anglong, Assam yesterday by officials of the forest department stationed at Hamren sub-division and brought to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) after an unsuccessful attempt at reuniting it with the herd.

The elephant calf was found trapped in mud in a low lying area of the sub-division. Forest officials managed to initially reunite the calf with its herd but it was again found deserted.

The elephant calf is now being looked after at CWRC, where eight orphaned or abandoned elephant calves are in various stages of rehabilitation. According to Dr. Ashraf, Director, Wild Rescue Program of the WTI, “The calf is suffering from mild dehydration and navel infection.”

CWRC is the premier facility for rescue and rehabilitation of injured and distressed animals from Kaziranga National Park and other adjoining areas in the north eastern state of Assam. The centre was established by the Assam Forest Department and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) with support from WTI’s partner, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

At an average the CBRC reports 4-5 such cases annually. Bhaskar Choudhary a veterinarian with WTI reminisces, “The last five years has seen approximately 23-25 such cases. From humble beginnings, we have now upgraded our facility at CWRC to cater to many species that suffer injury or desertion. At present we also have a mobile veterinary unit to cover similar exigencies.”

Prabal Sharkar, Senior Field Officer commenting on the rejection of the calf by the herd says, “Elephants are social animals and may not welcome a calf belonging to a different herd. However there are advantages when the animal is young and there is a possibility of accepting it by a herd due to sympathetic reasons”.

An elephant calf when left alone or unattended could face many problems in the wild. Apart from problems with identifying food, they are also prone to attacks by predators.

At CWRC these animals are provided with all medical attention and suitable diet. Strict protocols in line with international standards are followed during rehabilitation.