Kaziranga: A two-year-old wild elephant calf found wandering near a village in Lakhimpur division of the north-eastern Assam state was rescued and sent to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga. This increases the number of elephant calves at CWRC, which is managed by the Wildlife Trust of India(WTI), to four. According to the centre veterinarian, Dr Bhaskar Choudhury, the female calf was found wandering listlessly near the Dhunaguri Gonsoiati village in the Lakhimpur division of upper Assam and was rescued by the forest department staff and villagers with the help of camp elephants on April 26, 2004.

CWRC is a joint venture of the Assam forest department and WTI and is supported by its partner the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It was set up as a rescue facility for animals of the region.

Named Lakshmi, this is the first female calf to have joined this fraternity of three male baby elephants at CWRC. She was initially kept at Harmutty forest range in the Lakhimpur division where she was treated for a few days.

Then began her eventful journey on May 9, 2004 to CWRC near Kaziranga which took five hours. A heavy downpour added to Lakshmi’s trauma of travel and relocation. Ropes had to be used to restrain her throughout her journey in the truck. When the truck reached CWRC, Tarun Gogoi the elephant keeper entered the truck to help Lakshmi down, but she charged at him. The efforts of other keepers and forest officials to calm her bore no fruit and after struggling for two hours, she was finally restrained with a chain and brought off the truck. Once on the ground, Lakshmi fed on grass and kept awake on an all-night vigil, resisting all human attempts to help her adjust to her new environment.

The next morning, Tarun Gogoi tried to introduce Lakshmi to Mohan, Pinku and Brahmaputra , the three male elephant calves at CWRC. Pinku, the most jealous one of the lot stayed away from her. Brahmaputra , who is a recent addition to the elephant fraternity, shyly went near her, but quickly bolted. Mohan, being the most social and patient of the three calves approached Lakshmi and managed to put his trunk around her.

That evening a Forest department camp elephant was brought to CWRC to further help Lakshmi adjust to her new environs. Lakshmi took to the big elephant and was then allowed to roam inside the campus with her. Lakshmi has now started accepting food from Tarun. All at CWRC hope that Lakshmi will take to the three other calves soon and being the only female, will hopefully become their favorite.