Abandoned elephant calf rescued from roadside

Shifted from Chamarajanagar to Mysuru Zoo

Chamarajanagar / Mysuru: A male elephant calf, suspected to have been abandoned by its mother and found wandering on the roadside, was rescued in Hanur Buffer Range of MM Hills yesterday and has been shifted to Mysuru Zoo for treatment.

Motorists, who found the elephant calf aged about one month on the side of Hanur-Ajjipura Main Road on Sunday evening, clicked photos and recorded videos on their mobile phones.

Elephant herd usually cross this road to drink water near Arakanahalla and motorists encounter the elephant herd frequently. It is suspected that the elephant calf may have got separated from the herd and remained on the roadside.

As heavy vehicles carrying sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, timber and stones to Tamil Nadu move on this road, the elephant calf stayed put on the roadside following which the Forest Department staff arrived at the spot to prevent the calf from entering the busy road.

The Forest officials and staff waited for with a hope that the mother elephant would come to take the calf. As the calf was dehydrated due to severe hunger and there is no facility to treat the calf in the district, the Forest Officials contacted the authorities of Mysuru Zoo and shifted the elephant calf to the Zoo yesterday.

The Mysuru Zoo Veterinarians, who took the calf under their care, have begun treating it and have kept the elephant calf under observation besides continuing the treatment.