COIMBATORE: After a video showing a calf elephant walking with difficulty alongside its mother at Solakkarai near Navakkarai surfaced on Friday morning, forest department staff began monitoring the animal.
Forest officials said the calf appeared to have sustained an injury and may have been attacked by a wild animal.
The video of the calf walking slowly alongside its mother on Puthupathi Road near Walayar, along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, under Madukkarai Forest Range, was widely shared on social media. In the video, villagers were seen talking to the calf, requesting it to walk slowly and stay on the road.
Following instructions from Chief Conservator of Forests and Field Director of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) D Venkatesh and Coimbatore District Forest Officer N Vengatesh Prabhu, a team led by Madukkarai Forest Range Officer R Arun Kumar visited the spot along with a veterinarian and monitored the animal.
The officials said the calf was monitored from a distance using a drone and it was found limping on its right front leg and left hind leg.
"The calf elephant was probably attacked by a tiger or leopard, as we observed some injuries on its tail. We suspect that the animal started facing difficulty in walking only after it was attacked by the carnivore. The mother elephant could have protected the calf, which may have resulted in the injuries being minor," said a forest department official.
Along with the calf, three female elephants, including its mother, were roaming in the area and the officials could not approach the animal to provide treatment.
