KAZIRANGA, Dec 4 - Rejecting the wild allegations made by some social organisations over the death of a wild elephant calf at Kaziranga, Forest Veterinary Officer of Kaziranga Dr Debobrata Phukan said that the elephant calf was under mental trauma and was weak ever since it was left out from the wild elephant herd , a couple of days back at Bagori range of Kaziranga National Park.
�The wild elephant calf was left out of the herd a couple of days back. It was a male and one year and six months old. We had tried three times to reunite the calf with the herd but the calf always returned to human habitation and entered into the home of our elephant mahout. It did not take any food including liquid food (milk). Secondly, since the calf was left by its mother and the herd so it was under tremendous mental trauma,� said Dr. Phukan. He added that there was also the possibility of excess drying up of the oesophagus of the calf and perhaps for that reason it could not suck the milk which was being fed by bottle.
Rejecting the allegations of administering of tranquillisers, Dr Phukan said that the elephant calf was given a mild dose of sedatives while being shifted to Mihimukh from Bagori. Dr Phukan informed that since the calf did not take any food including milk, so a decision was taken to shift it to Mihimukh with a hope that it would be able to suck the milk of other lactating ( mother) elephants which were available at Mihimukh area of Kaziranga National Park. Necessary saline and emergency medicines were given but the calf died, said Dr Phukan.