Keonjhar: An one-and-a-half-year-old male elephant calf is fighting for its life under intensive medical care after being rescued by forest personnel in Keonjhar. The calf, first spotted on April 7 in Chamakpur area of Joda section, was observed limping with injuries in its hind legs. Forest officials initially monitored the situation without intervention as the calf was still with its herd.
“Our dedicated teams have been tracking the calf using drones for the past few days,” said divisional forest officer Dhanraj H.D. “Though the calf was mobile in the morning, its condition deteriorated by 11 am when it was found in a right lateral recumbent position. Then we rescued it after it was separated from the herd,” he added.
Medical examination revealed a pus-filled abscess in the left mandibular region and swelling in both hind carpal joints. The expert wildlife health team suspects the calf is suffering from septicemia. “Treatment is being administered in consultation with Dr. Indramani Nath of the Centre for Wildlife Health, Bhubaneswar. We are coordinating with the joint task force of PCCF wildlife office, and the calf is showing signs of improvement,” he said.