Shunned Baby Elephant Shifted To Kapilash Rescue Centre

Berhampur: The deserted baby elephant rescued from Sunapur village on the outskirts of the silk city has been shifted to Kapilash rescue centre in Dhenkanal district.

“The baby elephant has been shifted with all arrangements and tight security in place. Initially it will be kept in quarantine,” said DFO Amlan Nayak on Thursday.

It was quite emotional for the forest officials and local residents when the elephant calf was being shifted from Tamana beat house to the rescue centre.

Earlier this week, when the elephant calf went astray from its mother, some villagers tried to ward it off towards the herd after rescuing it. However, their efforts turned futile as the herd rejected the calf.

The baby elephant was part of the herd which sneaked into the locality and subsequently entered Tampara lake causing extensive damage to prawn enclosures and fishing boats. The calf got stuck in marshy lake pond and suffered injuries and later the forest department personnel nurtured the baby elephant at Tamana beat house.

“Noticing the calf suffering injuries after entering the lake, some fishermen and youths of the village rescued it and tried to take it to the mother elephant. But the herd did not accept it as it was rescued by human beings,” said a local resident.

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(Edited by Devbrat Patnaik)