A 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued after getting trapped in a muddy paddy field while searching for food near Shyamasundarpur village in Odisha's Angul district. The herd of 22 elephants that accompanied the calf reportedly fled the area, leaving it stranded in the slush. The calf was later found struggling to move in the muddy field.

As per reports, upon receiving information, the Angul Range team of the Forest Department reached the site and rescued the calf. It was subsequently shifted to the Kulasingha nursery near Purunagarh for treatment. Officials said the calf had become weak after spending the entire night in the cold. To aid recovery, glucose, IV drip, and other medicines were being administered by veterinary staff at the time of reporting.

Health Condition Improving Gradually

Angul DFO Nitish Kumar said that the calf’s condition is improving steadily. “Our staff found him in the paddy field and took him to Kulasingha after recovering it. It appears that the calf is a little over 15 days old and is a male. He is currently under treatment and receiving glucose and other medications since he was stuck there all night and his body temperature had gone down, but it is slowly recovering after treatment. His physical activities remain normal, and he is also able to walk,” he said.

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Reunion Plan with Elephant Herd

Forest officials added that once the calf’s health stabilises, efforts will be made to reunite it with the herd of 22 elephants roaming near Mandargiri hill. Continuous monitoring is underway to ensure the calf’s full recovery before it is released back into the wild.