Orphaned elephant calf shifted to Kozhikamuthi camp

COIMBATORE: A one-month-old male wild elephant calf has been shifted to the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near Pollachi after repeated attempts to reunite it with its herd failed.

The calf was first spotted by the forest personnel of the Madukkarai range on Wednesday night, wandering alone near Navakkarai Pirivu. Acting on the instructions of Coimbatore forest veterinary officer Dr A Sukumar, the team provided the calf with medical care and fed it milk.

“We took the calf into the forest five times, trying to reunite it with its original herd after identifying its mother. But each time, the herd, including the presumed mother, rejected the calf,” said a forest official.

“Given the calf’s young age and the harsh summer weather, which poses a serious risk to its health, we decided to move it to the Kozhikamuthi elephant camp in the Ulanthy range of ATR. There, it will be cared for by experienced mahouts and kavadis in a natural, nurturing environment,” the official said.

Chief wildlife warden and principal chief conservator of forests Srinivas R Reddy issued an order permitting the transport of the calf to the Kozhikamuthi tribal settlement.