Alipurduar, March 13 -- Despite all efforts, the Jaldapara Forest department was unable to save a newborn elephant calf that had been abandoned by its herd in the Mahananda North Range under the Darjeeling Forest Division. The calf, which was brought to the Holong Central Peel Khana at Jaldapara National Park on February 6, succumbed to a severe infection.
The calf suffered from a wound on its toenail, which led to a spreading infection throughout its body. Utpal Sharma, Veterinary Officer of the Jaldapara Forest department, stated: "The calf was gradually weakening due to the lack of its mother's milk. The infection from the wound on its leg worsened despite administering life- saving medicines."
After being transported from Darjeeling, the calf was placed in a quarantine care unit at Jaldapara's Holong Central Peel Khana. Parveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Jaldapara, said: "The absence of maternal care further weakened its condition. Despite our best efforts, we could not save it."
The calf was first spotted alone in the Ten Mile area of the Darjeeling Forest Division on February 2. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to reunite it with its herd over four days, forest officials decided to transport it to Jaldapara for care.
Jaldapara's Holong Central Peel Khana has a history of successfully rehabilitating abandoned elephant calves. However, this time, efforts fell short as the 20-day-old calf did not survive, marking a rare setback.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.