Abandoned elephant calf ‘Krishna’ awaits mother's return in temporary shelter in Attappady forest

Agali: A one-year-old elephant calf finds solace in a makeshift shelter set up by the forest department in Krishnavanam, near Attappady in Doddukatti ooru (tribal hamlet). The young calf, nicknamed "Krishna" by forest guards, has now escaped the fatigue and despair after being separated from its mother. With newfound vigour, Krishna even engages in playtime with the forest guards who stand watch over him.

The series of events unfolded when the mother elephant and her calf ventured outside the forest on Thursday. Tragically, the mother retreated into the forest, leaving her offspring stranded in an inhabited area. The MGNREGA workers were the first to spot the lost calf, immediately alerting the forest department. The rapid response team of Puthur arrived at the scene and tried to guide the young elephant back into the safety of the forest.

In a promising development, the forest guards successfully reunited the calf with its mother during the afternoon. However, their joy was short-lived as the wild calf emerged from the forest once again later in the evening. Persistent attempts were made to reintroduce the calf to its natural habitat, but regrettably, these efforts proved futile. On Friday morning, Krishna returned back from the forest.

Following the advice of Dr David Abraham, the Veterinary Officer of the Thrissur Forest Department, a temporary shelter has been built using wild trees. Forest guards remain hopeful that the distressed mother will stumble upon this shelter, break it, and reunite with her calf. Dr. Abraham, after inspecting the calf, confirmed that it is in good health. Nevertheless, if the mother fails to appear, starting from Saturday, the forest department intends to provide the baby elephant with lactogen-enriched food to safeguard its well-being.