Rejected by mother, elephant calf bonds with caretakers in Odisha

At an age when it should have been frolicking in the meadows under its mother’s care, a helpless elephant calf, barely 15 to 20 days old, separated from its herd, now finds itself confined within four walls under the custody of Boudh Forest Department.

As per reports, the incident unfolded when a herd of elephants, along with this calf and its mother, descended from the Panchadhara hills in Athmallik towards Kusumkuhuri village. In the process, the calf accidentally fell into a canal. On the morning of September 11, local villagers rescued the stranded elephant and alerted the Forest Department. Officials later released the herd after barricading the area.

However, despite repeated attempts, the mother elephant refused to accept the calf back. Experts believe that the mother’s natural sense of smell detected human scent on the calf’s body, leading her to reject it.

"The herd had come at around 12.30 pm to 1 pm on September 12. There was also voice exchange in form of trumpeting call. As per their natural behaviour, the herd should have taken the baby elephant by demolishing the barricade. However, they didn't take. We tried in the same manner on the next day. The herd came at night, but stayed away and returned to the forest. As the herd is not accepting the baby elephant , they will not take it with them anymore," said Athmallik ACF Sachidananda Sethi.

"The natural sense of smell of the elephants is so sharp that they didn't accept the baby elephant anymore. The way the baby elephant is shedding tears after being separated from its mother, the scene is really heart-wrenching. As an animal, though it is not able to express i't's feelings, it is really very painful to watch it's reactions," said Praveen Kumar Das, an environmentalist. 

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Since then, the calf has been under the care of the Forest Department. Separated from its herd and yearning for its mother, the young elephant, lovingly named Priyanshi, is now beginning a new life in an unfamiliar world. According to caretakers, Priyanshi has already grown attached to them, often calling out with different sounds whenever they are out of sight.

"The way the Forest Department is taking care of the baby elephant, it's a matter of great joy. It is very much a welcome step. The baby elephant has also been named as Priyanshi. The Forest Department is giving a great message by taking good care of the baby elephant," said Ratnakar Behera, a local resident.

Forest officials stated that upon receiving instructions from higher authorities, the calf may be relocated either to Kapilash Zoo or Nandankanan Zoological Park for long-term care.