Orissa wildlife officials reunite baby elephant with herd

Wildlife officials in Orissa have reunited a baby elephant they had rescued after it was separated from its herd in May.

Chandaka Dampara (Orissa), June 18 : Wildlife officials in Orissa have reunited a baby elephant they had rescued after it was separated from its herd in May.

The calf, eight to ten months old female, was found at a duck breeding centre near Ghatikia on the outskirts of Bhubaneshwar, but forest officials decided not to touch it, waiting for its herd to take it back.

But when the herd refused to accept her, the forest officials decided to rescue the calf, which was injured after she fell in to a shallow pit.

The calf was treated at the Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary situated near Bhubaneshwar, where it spent more than two months under the care of the forest officials.

Forest officials hoped the herd would accept the little one. Akshya Patnaik, Divisional Forest Officer of the Sancturay said: "I am very optimistic. If it remains with the herd then it is good. As per the present indications, the baby elephant is with the herd."

Orissa has an estimated 1,800 elephants, but its shrinking habitat has forced the animals cross over the human settlements.At least 151 elephants were poached in the state between 1991-2001 while another 125 died of natural reasons or epidemics.

The State Environment and Forest Ministry has drawn up a Project Elephant to conserve the Asiatic elephant population in the country. India has an estimated 30,000 wild and captive elephants.

ANI