Hurt in mishap, baby elephant gets physio's care for recovery

Bani’s being spoilt silly. The baby elephant enjoys playing in the mud, loves to hear stories before a nap and throws a tantrum if you grab her feeding bottle. Bani is a 1-year-old elephant calf who had a train accident in Uttarakhand in December and is now being treated at an elephant care facility in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

The calf and her mother were crossing the railway tracks at Haldwani, near Corbett National Park, in December when the mother died in the accident while the baby was flung into a field below. Forest officials in Uttarakhand rescued the calf and, earlier this month, got her to Wildlife SOS’s elephant hospital at Mathura which houses old, ailing elephants where she was christened Bani. She is the first baby elephant, that too a train accident case, being treated at the Mathura facility. The accident has left her immobile; she cannot stand and remains in a lying-down position all day.

A battery of tests later, vets diagnosed that Bani had suspected nerve damage. The injury is bad, said Dr E Gochalan, veterinary officer, Wildlife SOS, the NGO which is tending to the calf. “Bani’s hind limbs have been paralysed, suspected of causing spastic paraparesis. This means that the hind lower limbs, from waist to foot, are paralysed and do not function,” Dr Gochalan told TOI.

On average, 20 elephants died annually across the country between 2010 and 2020, Wildlife SOS claimed. Geeta Seshamani, co-founder & secretary, Wildlife SOS, expressed hope that the railways would reduce train speeds in wildlife corridors all over India.

Days after being wheeled into the Mathura facility, Bani is at ease at her new home. She has three caretakers who chaperone her all day. If, for a brief moment, no one’s around her, she grunts angrily until someone calls out to mark their presence felt. Since her admission to the Wilddlife SOS facility, veterinary experts and human orthopaedic specialist have been consulted for the treatment.

Bani is undergoing physiotherapy and is being administered infra-red laser therapy to help the blood flow resume. “The muscles have to be kept active and stimulated. If they remain rigid, atrophy could set in,” explained Dr Gochalan. In simple words, the muscles could get rigid, stiff and could shrink.

While intravenous fluids and supplements are part of the treatment, Bani gets a massage of ayurveda oils. “We also hoist her in a makeshift sling to make her stand. She is gently made to do flexion and extension with the hind legs to help muscle movement,” the vet said, pointing out that they keep tabs on her response and comfort level.

The baby elephant is slowly bonding with her caretakers. “Bani knows they are there to help her… After all, elephants are social beings,” noted Dr Gochalan. The caretaker has to chat with her, and Bani responds in her unique way, like by touching their face with her trunk.

Bani is being fed on a slurry of wheat, moong dal and milk. She also loves to chomp on sugarcane and bananas and gets that occasional treat of berseem – a local variety of green grass. If you yank her feeding bottle of porridge out of her mouth, she throws a tantrum. She loves her jaw being tickled.

She behaves “just like a baby”, said the vet. After every feed, the elephant needs a catnap. She slides her head on the lap of her caretaker who then has to rock her to sleep, her head propped up on her pillow -- a gunny sack stuffed with dry grass.

Bani’s recovery process is expected to take very long, Dr Gochalan said, adding, “Besides the clinical treatment, she needs psychological healing. We are doing our best to get this motherless baby elephant back on her feet.”