Not calf love this, say vet doctors

CHENNAI: Separated from the herd when it was barely two weeks old and then rehabilitated at the Vandalur Zoo, a four-month-old male elephant calf still yearns for the love of its mother.

Longing for maternal warmth and refusing to eat properly, Giri stands emaciated, causing concern to veterinarians, mahouts and other forest officials taking care of him.

Giri alone stands out in a skinny frame and forlorn demeanour in the zoo that has many other elephants. Evidently, he was distressed by the separation from the herd that had strayed into a farm in Dharmapuri district, outside the forest area, one night about four months ago, R Sunderrajan, Chief Wildlife Warden, said at the sidelines of a sensitisation programme for elephant-handlers conducted in the zoo on Wednesday.

The elephant herd had strayed out of the forest in search of water. Alarmed locals burst firecrackers to scare them away. While the entire herd made a hasty retreat into the forest, Giri, who was too young and frail, could not. He was left behind in the farm and forest officials spotted him. After efforts to unite the calf with its family failed, it was brought to Vandalur zoo in March for rehabilitation.

"Initially, it was a very delicate task. The calf had lost its mother and felt insecure. We showed love, developed an emotional bond and helped it overcome its mental trauma," a mahout said.

But it still misses the mother, Sunderrajan said pointing to the raised hairs on the body of the calf. However, the presence of other calves and young and grown up elephants in the zoo providing a family like ambience should help Giri overcome the trauma soon, officials said.