Abandoned By Herd, Forest Department Shifts Elephant Calf To Zoo In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Abandoned by its herd after it came in contact with humans, an elephant calf was relocated to Kapilash zoo in Odisha on Thursday.

A video clip has gone viral that showed a heart-rending scene of a two-year-old elephant calf being shunned by its family, reported The Hindu.

The 15-elephant herd was witnessed near a lake in Ganjam district’s Chikiti block on Tuesday. A calf that got separated from the herd was eventually rescued by fishermen and handed over to the State forest department.

“We had kept a close watch on the elephant herd to ensure that the jumbos didn’t enter any human habitations. During the day, the calf, which came in contact with humans, had made more than 20 attempts to join the herd, but the elephants did not accept it,” Divisional Forest Officer, Amlan Nayak was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

“On our part, 17 attempts were made to help the calf join the herd. We had even applied elephant dung on the calf so that it would smell like it was part of the herd. All our efforts went in vain. Every time, the calf went near the herd it was driven back,” the forest officer added.

ALSO READ: Panic Grips Villagers In Odisha As Strayed Elephant Herd Returns From Andhra