A 10-month-old elephant calf, abandoned by its mother in Sathyamangalam forest division is being rehabilitated at the Vandalur Zoo near here. The calf was brought to the zoo on Thursday. This is the sixth ever calf, which was rescued by the Forest officials in Sathyamangalam and sent to the zoo for rehabilitation.
K.S.S.V.P. Reddy, Chief Conservator of Forests and Zoo Director, said the zoo has a 20 ha area, which has been earmarked as an enclosure for keeping the elephants. Within the area, facilities such as housing, bathing, kitchen and temporary shelters (to protect the calves from the vagaries of nature) have been provided.
Tribals experienced in rearing elephant calves from Kozhikamuthi in Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Pollachi, are staying here to take care of the calves round the clock. Adequate veterinary care with improved diet system, are some of the other factors helped in successfully hand rearing of abandoned elephant calves, he said.
Talking about the diet for the calves, Mr. Reddy said they have standardised the infant feed protocol by providing nutritious feed, which included tender coconut water supplemented with tinned milk powder. According to research studies elephant calves will not be able to withstand temperature below 15 degree Celsius and they will start shivering. The zoo authorities have specially designed a bed sheet made of coir and hay, which is being wrapped on the calf elephants to provide warmth as the temperature inside the zoo will be one or two degrees less than outside, he said. The calf that arrived on Thursday has not been named yet. Four-and-half-year-old Saravarana from Sathyamangalam; four-year-old Narasimhan from Coimbatore; three-and-half-year-old Oorigam and three-year-old Giri from Hosur Forest division and five-month-old Murali from Sathyamangalam are the other five abandoned calves being successfully rehabilitated at the Zoo, Mr. Reddy added.
