Forest Dept. shifts elephant calf found in Coimbatore to Theppakadu camp

One-month-old elephant calf found in Coimbatore forest division shifted to Theppakadu Elephant Camp for raising as camp elephant.

A one-month-old elephant calf that was found near Thadagam in Coimbatore forest division around a week ago was shifted to the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) where it is to be raised as a camp elephant, after efforts to unite it with a wild herd eventually proved to be futile.

The calf that was found on December 24 is believed to be the offspring of a female elephant, aged around 30, that was found dead nearby. The Forest Department spent six days looking for herds in the area, in the hope that one of them would adopt the calf. However, despite their best efforts, the attempts failed and a decision was taken to shift the calf to the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in MTR. The elephant camp is known for its excellent track record in raising orphaned elephant calves.

The Field Director of MTR and Conservator of Forests (Nilgiris), R. Kiruba Shankar, said that preparations were made to ensure that the calf had the maximum chance of survival at the camp.

Forest Department officials said that the calf would be housed in a specially designed enclosure, and that tried and tested food mixtures that have been fed to other calves raised at the camp would be gradually incorporated into its diet. They did however state that the calf’s extremely young age meant that it was more difficult to ensure its survival into adulthood, but added that all the expertise of the Forest Department would be implemented in ensuring that it had the maximum chance of survival.

Officials added that the calf reached the camp at 9 p.m. on Monday, and seemed to be in decent health.