A three-month-old elephant calf that was separated from its herd in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve last month has found a new home at theTheppakadu camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).
Officials said that the 127-kg calf is being looked after by two persons, including a mahout. The calf is being provided with Lactogen 3 and glucose to help it gain weight.
“Right now, the elephant seems to be healthy, and is very active. We hope that our efforts will help it recover and become more healthy,” a forest official said, indicating that Theppakadu might become the permanent home of the animal.
The Theppakadu camp has a good track record at nursing young elephants back to health. In 2017, a 11-month-old elephant from Krishnagiri, named Raghu , was brought with injuries all over his body, after it was apparently attacked by feral dogs. He has made a full recovery in the camp, officials said.
The recent success of rehabilitating a former temple elephant, Masini, is also a source of great pride for forest officials. The injured Masini has put on plenty of weight at the camp, an official said.
It is difficult to nurse a young calf back to full health and ensure its survival, but the Forest department is fully equipped to handle the situation as veterinarians are available to ensure that the animal gets the best medical care, the official said.
“For now, it seems like Theppakadu will be its new home,” said an official.
Forest staff in Sathyamangalam tried to reunite the calf with its herd earlier this month when a public interest litigation was filed in the Madras High Court asking the department to stop their efforts as the chance of the calf being accepted by its herd had become remote.
