Rescued Elephant Calf Rejected by Herd in Odisha’s Angul
Emotional rescue turns tragic as herd refuses to accept the calf despite forest officials’ efforts
In a poignant turn of events highlighting the delicate balance between wildlife and human intervention, an elephant calf rescued from a muddy paddy field in Odisha’s Angul district has been heartbreakingly rejected by its herd.
Forest officials said a herd of 22 elephants had entered Shyamasundarpur village in Angul on November 8. During their nocturnal movement, a baby elephant got trapped in the slush of a paddy field and was accidentally left behind. Villagers reported that the calf had struggled throughout the night to free itself.
At dawn, a rescue team from the Angul Forest Range pulled the exhausted calf to safety. Weak and dehydrated, the young elephant was shifted to the Kulasingha nursery near Purunagarh for urgent medical attention. Veterinarians administered glucose, IV fluids, and medication to stabilise its condition.
After the calf regained some strength, officials made a sincere attempt to reunite it with its herd. To remove traces of human scent, they smeared elephant dung on the calf before releasing it near the group. However, the reunion ended in heartbreak — the elephants turned away, refusing to accept the calf despite its repeated attempts to approach them.
Forest officials said they would continue to care for the calf and explore ways to ensure its eventual rehabilitation. “This is one of the most emotional challenges in wildlife rescue,” said a senior forest officer. “We try to save a life, but sometimes nature decides differently.”