A wild elephant was found dead at a rubber plantation in a forest fringe area in Kallar on Saturday. The animal’s calf that refused to leave her side for several hours has been shifted to the elephant rehabilitation centre at Kottoor.
The carcass of the female elephant, estimated to be around 40 years old, was spotted by the forest staff at the 26th Mile in Kallar around 7 a.m. The animal and her female calf had apparently strayed from their herd to the human habitation.
The forest officials stood witness to heart-rending scenes as the calf refused to move away from her mother’s remains for close to five hours. She could be seen attempting to lift the elder elephant’s trunk in a sad, futile bid to wake her up. Finally, the baby elephant, believed to be aged around one-and-a-half years, was shifted after being administered sedatives.
According to K.I. Pradeep Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Thiruvananthapuram, the elephant was found to be suffering from a pulmonary disease. The mortal remains were later cremated in the interior forests. On arriving at Kottoor, the calf was found to be healthy.
