COIMBATORE/NILGIRIS: Coimbatore forest division officials are once again trying to reunite an elephant calf with his mother at Periyanacieknpalayam range after an earlier attempt failed.
On Saturday evening, forest staff along with elephant trackers from Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) reunited the calf with his mother after a ten- hour struggle at Puliyanthoppu Saragam in Naickenpalayam south beat. But the calf was found abandoned on Sunday in Rayaruthupathi.
N Jayaraj, district forest officer, Coimbatore forest division, said, “We are taking efforts continuously to reunite the calf with the herd. We do not have any plan to bring it to the Kozhikamuthi camp. As per instruction from forest veterinary officer A Sukumar, we are feeding the calf lactogen, glucose and coconut water to keep him hydrated.”
Meanwhile, an eight year old male elephant that was treated a few days ago, was found dead at Singara forest range in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Monday evening. Post mortem examination was conducted in the presence of members of NGO and MTR deputy director P Arunkumar, by Thepakadu veterinary assistant surgeon K Rajesh Kumar.
“The animal was very weak and lacked nutrition due to summer. Moreover, his internal organs had parasitic worms and a combination of these factors might have caused the death,” an officer said.
The official said that after the treatment on April 5,the animal stood on his own and went inside the forest in Masinagudi. Subsequently, the animal moved inside Singara forest. It was found dead on a patta land by the monitoring team on Monday evening.