Angul, Jan 5: At a time when herds of elephants rampage into the Angul villages and wreak havocs in almost the year, a lone elephant calf is found loitering in a village near the Nalco Plant a few days ago ,has been an unprecedented scene for the locals.
The newborn elephant calf after left out by its mother and its herd is now under the care of the locals and Vet teams.
The village street of the Gadharakhai village, a few Kilometres away from the CPP plant of Nalco in Angul, has been a replica of miniature zoo or a Mini Circus for the locals, after an elephant calf strayed into the habitation among herds of cattle on Thursday.
Subhakanta Parida, a resident of the Gadharakhai Village said, a female elephant had delivered a calf in the paddy field near the village a while ago. At that time, a herd of at least 14 elephants led by a jumbo tusker had surrounded the female elephant to safeguard the calf and its nurturing mother. However, with the interventions of the locals, the herd of elephants left the spot and moved towards the Saradhapur forest whereas the calf was left abandoned. In the morning on Friday the calf followed herds of cows that were grazing on the harvested paddy fields and entered into the village. However, the newborn calf was found too weak to move, due to its skeletal body and want of food and colostrum from its mother. Finding it hungry and thirsty, the locals fed the baby elephant with milk, warm water, cereal based rice water and bananas. On the other hand, the local youths frantically searched for its mother and the elephant-herd, to dispose the baby in them but in vain. Subsequently, the forest officials were informed to rescue the calf with providing adequate care and shelter for its survival.
Based on it, a team of elephant tracking squad led by a Vet Doctor reached the village who took the calf into their responsibility. The Vet team provided baby-fodder and drink to the pachyderm following its health check-up.
Sources said the pachyderm is doing well after intervention of the Vet Doctors which has been sheltered in a temporary shed at Talcher Beat House under the disposal of the Talcher Forest Range Officer.
Efforts are underway by the elephant tracking teams to find out the dispersed elephant herd in order to reunite the elephant calf with its mother and the corresponding herd, sources added.
