Kaziranga: Amid Durga puja celebrations across the northeastern state of Assam, the staff at the Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in Kaziranga labored to provide motherly comfort to yet another rescued elephant calf in the centre. With the arrival of this five week old female elephant calf at CWRC, the number of elephant has now become ten.

The officials of the Jorhat forest division rescued the elephant calf, now named Durga, from Rupaimukh bordering Jorhat and Sibsagar districts of upper Assam. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) that looks after the rehabilitation programmes in northeast is hopeful of her early recovery at CWRC.

“The calf was in a traumatized state when found late in the evening on the river island,“ said Range Officer Debabrat Gogoi. On 8 October, the elephant calf was transported to CWRC from the range office in Jorhat for hand raising.

Murali Pai of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) said, “With the arrival of this baby calf, the sex ratio of elephants at CWRC has become 50:50, with five males and five females. Presently, the calf is being intensively monitored at the centre.”

Dr. Anjan Talukdar, wildlife veterinarian at CWRC said that, the calf was fed with milk (Lactogen-2) as soon as she arrived in the center. However, she was unable to digest the milk formula as evident from mild diarrhoea.

Dr. N. V. K. Ashraf, Director of Wild Rescue programme of WTI, when asked whether there is any paucity of funds to hand-raise these pachyderms said that, there is already a shortage of funds in the center. He said that Grober Milk Company Canada has agreed to provide five tones of milk powder free to elephants calves at CWRC. Currently, efforts are on to get the customs duty exemption on the milk import. The transportation costs that may amount to Rs 1 lakh would have to be borne by CWRC.

This is the first time in India that a foreign company has come forward to supply free milk in wild rescue efforts. Anticipating that the numbers of rescued animals would increase in the near future, the free milk import stands to tide away the milk crisis of tiny tots at the center.

Besides these ten elephants, three rhino calves, four leopards, two wild buffalos, and one hoolock gibbon are presently undergoing rehabilitation at CWRC. The cost of milk for the elephants alone amounts to more than a lakh per month.

CWRC in Kaziranga National Park is the only rehabilitation facility for rescued wild animals of Assam. It was jointly established by WTI and the Assam Forest Department with support from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). CWRC follows strict international protocols in the rehabilitation of rescued wild animals and prepares them for release back to the wild.

Photo Credit: WTI Photo Stock