A rescued elephant calf was refused acceptance by its mother and herd in Odisha’s Angul district after human intervention during a rescue operation, officials said on Sunday.

According to forest officials, a herd of 22 elephants had entered Shyamasundarpur village in Angul on November 8. During their movement, a baby elephant was accidentally left behind and got trapped in a muddy paddy field. The calf reportedly struggled the entire night to free itself.

According to reports, after receiving information in the morning, a team from the Angul Forest Range rushed to the spot and successfully rescued the stranded calf. The animal was later shifted to the Kulasingha nursery near Purunagarh for medical care. Forest officials said the calf had grown weak after spending the entire night in the cold, and veterinary staff administered glucose, IV fluids, and other medicines to help it recover.

Efforts to Reunite With Herd Fail

After the calf’s recovery, forest officials attempted to reunite it with the herd. The Forest Department released the baby elephant near the herd after rubbing elephant dung on its body to mask the human scent. However, the elephants reportedly refused to accept the calf.

Also Read: 15-day-old elephant calf rescued after being trapped in muddy paddy field in Angul

Further Efforts Planned

The Forest Department officials informed that they will continue to take care of the baby elephant and make another attempt to reunite it with its mother.