Chennai, April 10 (BPNS)
The Tamil Nadu forest department has shifted an elephant calf that was found abandoned near Periyanaicekenpalayam in Coimbatore to the Theppakadu elephant camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) on Wednesday.
The calf, according to the forest officials was taken to an elephant herd that had a lactating elephant but the herd did not take the calf with them. Again the forest staff tried to unite the calf with the herd but it was not accepted and hence the forest department has taken a decision to take the elephant calf to the Theppekadu elephant camp in MTR.
Forest department officials told media persons that the decision to shift the calf around three months to the elephant camp was taken on Tuesday late at night after several attempts to reunite the elephant calf with the herd became futile.
MTR Field Director, D. Venkatesh told media persons that a mahout will be assigned to take care of the elephant calf from Thursday onwards. Venkatesh said that another elephant calf that was found abandoned at the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) was also being taken care of at MTR.
He said that the elephant camp has two kraals or wooden enclosures in which the two calves would be sheltered and taken care of by the staff. Forest officials said that the rescued calves would be able to move around in the camp and a few days it is expected to get accustomed to the atmosphere of the camp.
It may be recalled that the 2023 Oscar-winning documentary, ‘Elephant Whisperers’ directed by Kartiki Gonsalves was shot at Theppekadu Elephant camp in Mudmalai Tiger Reserve.
