Our Hon Forest Ecology and Environment Minister Sri Anand Singh visited Bannerghatta Biological Park on 5 th evening to enquire about the welfare of the elephant calf which missed its mother and herd. In some very rare stray cases elephants are known to abandon their young ones.
In an effort to reunite the calf with its mother, Hon Minister came to BBP on 6 th morning by 5.30 am and supervised the operation. The calf was placed in a make shift crawl in the Bannerghatta National park near a water pond in a valley where elephants are known to pass which is also closer to the site where the calf was originally found , with just 4 elephant mahouts and kawadis hiding close by. Hon Minister and rest of us kept watch from far away (about 2 km ) hill with the help of binoculars.
Waited up to 11 am . Two male elephants passed about 50 mts away from the crawl but didn't come to the crawl. Another herd was half a km away and though they could hear the calls of the calf , they were not attracted.Since the calf was exhausted due to its wailing constantly and it was getting hot , the operation was terminated at 11 am and the calf was taken back to BBP.
The video shows Hon Ministers concern for the young exhausted calf just before it was taken back to BBP Veterinary hospital.
Facts are, the department tried it's best to unite the calf with its mother. First day it was kept in the vicinity where it was found. Though it was calling and wailing, no elephant came to take it back. Our staff also tracked several herds nearby to see if any female elephant is frantically searching for its missing baby. They couldn't find one for two days. However attempts were made to reunite by placing the calf in the jungle in make shift crawls in the hope that it's calls will attract it's mother. But to our and the calf's bad luck it's mother never came . During night the calf slept on the feet of our mahout . It got attached to him very well as he was taking care and feeding the baby.
We had to keep clear vigil by placing 4 department mahouts and kawadis close to the crawl hiding at safe distance with crackers and guns so that the calf is not killed by other elephants , especially male ones, which was very likely.
Now it's under the care and safe custody of department and an addition to the elephant camp of BBP. Kudos to the management of BBP, DCF and staff of BNP, thr Veterinary Doctors and their team for all the efforts made and saving the life the very young (8-10 days old) calf.
Thanks to Hon Minister for his immense concern , compassion, kindness for the young baby elephant.
Thanks to Mr Dinesh Singhi who's the state wildlife board member ( also seen in the video) who readily adopted the calf and came forward to bear it's maintenance expenses. The calf has been named Saraswati.
-aranya.gov.in
