Chilla (RNP): A month-old elephant calf has been rescued from the throes of being carried away by swirling waters by wildlife personnel in the Haridwar forest division. Now christened Ganga, the female calf was pulled out of an irrigation canal by staff of the division on July 4, 2002.The calf, now housed in the Chilla range together with the six-month-old Yogi who had been rescued by wildlife officials earlier, had suffered multiple injuries, most likely when it fell into the canal. According to Dr NVK Ashraf, coordinator of the Wild Rescue team of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), the most serious of them all was an infection in the front foot pad. There was abscess in the umbilical cord area which had been subsequently been infected by maggots. There were also lacerations on the upper lip on the base of her trunk.

A local veterinarian subsequently cleaned the wounds; the wounds are now being cleaned and dressed three times a day, as recommended by Dr Ashraf. Ganga is also being administered vitamins and antibiotics. The calf, still in a weak state, will need at least two more months before it stabilises.

The two calves, brought together now in an enclosed area in the headquarters of the Chilla range, have fast started befriending each other. Playful as they are, Ganga spends more time following the keeper wherever he goes, just like she would do in the wild with her mother.

The scars remain, as does the trauma; but the two are full of beans yet. Dr Ashraf had a trying time to photograph the two little ones – the two would hardly be there together to be captured in a single frame. But they finally were – they couldn’t stay far away from the keeper.

Thr two calves have little chance of being released in the wild. But Dr Ashraf feels that an attempt can be made if there are three animals, which are what would comprise the minimum herd size. He cited a series of experiments conducted in Sri Lanka on the rehibilitation and release of orphaned elephants back into the wild. An Elephant Transit Home was established within the Uda Walawe National Park in 1995. The calves were then raised in an enclosed area in the park till they recovered from their injuries and trauma. They were fed and allowed free access to grazing grounds.

One of the reasons for keeping all the calves numbering more than 20 together was to give them the opportunity to establish strong bonds with each other, he said. Some calves, especially females, show leadership qualities as they mature. It was only afrer such social bonding is firmly established that the release of rehabilitated elephants is even considered.

The first batch, comprising three males and one female, was released in March 1998. The three males, one of which was a tusker, initially joined separate herds, but the tusker broke away from its own and joined a group of adult bulls. The female was integrated into another herd. A batch of four females and a male was released in July 2000. The third batch was bigger – three males and five females.

Dr Ashraf hopes to try such an experiment in the future in India.

Pictures: Dr NVK Ashraf

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