A displaced elephant calf admitted to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) in February last is stable and gradually integrating with four other calves being hand reared at the centre in Kaziranga.
The calf was brought to the CWRC centre after it was found alone stuck on a sand bar, possibly isolated from the herd while it was crossing the Brahmaputra in upper Assam's Dhemaji district.
The calf was rescued by locals from Gerjai village after they heard its screams at night and later forest department employees assisted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare-Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) Mobile Veterinary Service unit of North Bank transported the calf to CWRC.
"The calf was weak, quite traumatised and suffering from navel and urinary infection too, but is stable now," Assistant Veterinary Surgeon Dr Bishwajit Boruah, who received the calf in February, said.
The calf was being kept indoors at night and during afternoons when it gets hot to prevent dehydration, but is left at an outdoor enclosure during morning and evenings and is also allowed to interact with other calves to allow bonding, CWRC veterinarian Dr Anjan Talukdar said.
Although still very young, the calves are beginning to display signs of attachment to each other, forming a social unit and behaving as a herd.
