It is said a mother’s love knows no bounds and she will go any far to protect her children. When it comes to elephants, their love for their babies is unconditional. They simply cannot tolerate the pain of separation from their calves. There are numerous examples where mother elephants risk their lives to protect their wards.
In the latest case in Odisha, a female elephant that created havoc in Jagatpur area by killing two persons and damaging properties has been shifted to the elephant rescue-cum-rehabilitation centre at Kapilash in Dhenkanal district recently.
Meanwhile, the pachyderm was looking for its calf. And on not finding her baby, it often becomes violent.
The tusker was tranquillized before being shifted to the rescue centre at Kapilash, sources said. The jumbo is being kept inside an enclosure strengthened with iron wire fencing so that people cannot see it easily and tease it.
On the other hand, it has become a challenge for the forest department to calm down the angry mother elephant and treat it. As it had a few wounds on its body, the elephant is being treated through antibiotics. It is being fed branches of Banyan.
It is learnt that the Forest Department will free the 20-year old animal when it will be capable of collecting food for itself.
Environmentalist Pradyumna Rath says, “The elephant’s calf has gone missing. It might have strayed into a nearby jungle. If the Forest Department traces the baby elephant and reunites it with its mother, the condition of the injured elephant will improve.”
Satyanarayan Kar, an intellectual, said, “The pachyderm had sustained grave injuries on its body after being chased by Jagatpur residents. So, the concerned department should provide quality treatment facility for its fast recovery.”
Prakash Chandra Gogineni, Dhenkanal District Forest Officer, said, “Doctors on rotation basis are attending the sick elephant. It is being administered antibiotic for its speedy recovery.”