TV
A 10-year-old female elephant, reportedly suffering from poor health, and her three-month-old calf have been spotted roaming in the periphery of the Ransinghpur village under the Narasinghpur Forest Division in the Athagarh region of the Cuttack district for nearly 20 days now.
Health concerns raised by locals Sources cited reports from locals who stated that the mother elephant appeared to be weak, with her daily health steadily declining, apparently due to lack of food sources. Additionally, many also stated witnessing the mother being unable to feed her calf nutritiously, leading to the deteriorating health of both the jumbos.
Villagers observe further deterioration
A few other villagers have also stated that the female elephant’s condition is deteriorating rapidly as she is unable to eat or move properly.
Forest department responds to the situation In response, the forest department has taken notice of the reports and deployed a dedicated team to assess the condition of the two elephants around the clock. Sources added that concerned wildlife personnel have been closely monitoring the health and movements of both the mother and the calf.
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Post-partum depression suspected
In contrast to observations made by the locals, Forest Ranger Subash Chandra Rout stated that the mother elephant was stable in health but added that the sluggishness in her movements was likely because of post-partum depression.
“Like humans, elephants also suffer from post-partum depression. The mother is engaging with her calf on a regular basis and is also carrying out her daily activities. One may feel that she is sick or infected, but it appears to be a case of depression,” he added.
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Forest officials monitor closely
Rout also noted that forest officials have recorded the elephant playing with its calf in the mud and also taking it to bath. However, they are keeping a close watch on the duo’s movements to detect and prevent any unfortunate incidents.
Notably, this development comes at a time when elephant deaths in the Narasinghpur forest area have already raised concerns.
