Elephant calf separated from mother near Coimbatore shifted to Theppakadu elephant camp

Four-month-old elephant calf separated from its mother was shifted to Theppakkadu elephant camp on Sunday, after multiple attempts to reunite it with its mother failed.

A four-month-old elephant calf that was found separated from its mother near Coimbatore on June 5 was shifted to the Theppakadu elephant camp of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris on Sunday.

The Forest Department shifted the calf to the elephant camp after multiple attempts by field staff to reunite the calf with its mother and herd failed.

According to the Forest Department, more than 10 attempts were made to reunite the calf with its mother and other herd members, but to no avail.

Officials and field staff were surprised by the strange behaviour of the mother and other elephants as the calf had earlier been taken by a juvenile elephant to the herd when veterinarians were treating the mother elephant. The mother was under the care of veterinarians from May 30 to June 3, after it was found in a collapsed state at the Marudhamalai foothills.

Though the mother joined the herd after treatment on June 3, the calf was found abandoned in an areca plantation at Kuppe Palayam near Thondamuthur on June 5. The staff have made several attempts to reunite the calf with the herd since then.

The calf was brought to Theppakadu camp, known for rehabilitating and bringing up abandoned elephant calves, early on Sunday morning. Officials said a mahout has been assigned to take care of the calf at the camp.