Kaziranga, September 24, 2014: Torrential rains heralding the week also brought in yet another elephant calf to the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildllife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), bringing up the total number of calves under care to seven.

The newcomer is a one and half month old female, brought to CWRC from Daboka Reserve Forest under Nagaon South division-Hojai on Monday night.

The calf after she was brought in. Photo: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee / IFAW-WTI

Officials of the Assam Forest Department reported that the patrolling staff near Udoganga area of Daboka RF heard the calf trumpeting early in the morning of 22nd September.

This area is a part of the hilly landscape of the reserve forest. On following its call, the forest search team found the solitary calf wedged in a small ditch between two rocks in the hillock. It was assumed that the calf was stuck there for a long time. Since there was no herd around, all scope for a reunion with the herd was lost.

The calf was dehydrated and looked unwell. The authorities of Nagaon south division decided to send the calf to CWRC and contacted Dr. Rathin Barman, in charge of CWRC. The IFAW-WTI team geared up to receive the calf at the rescue centre by late evening on a rainy Monday.

Animal keeper Hareshwar Das feeding and taking care of the orphan calf.
Photos: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee / IFAW-WTI

The IFAW-WTI veterinarians Dr. Panjit Basumatary, Dr. Biswajit Boruah and Dr. Samshul Ali examined the calf and it was kept overnight under the watchful care of the night shift animal keepers and Dr. Samshul Ali.
A thorough inspection conducted the following morning by Dr. Panjit Basumatary, the senior veterinarian of the centre, revealed that the calf had mild dehydration and maggot infection in the navel. Necessary treatment is going on.

Currently a male and six female elephant calves are under various stages of rehabilitation at the IFAW-WTI rescue centre.