A six-day-old baby male elephant, which got separated from its mother at the coffee estate at Malali in Sakleshpur taluk, Hassan district, has been brought to Sakrebailu elephants' camp near Shivamogga.
Sources in the Forest Department (wildlife wing) Shivamogga Division stated that the baby elephant was born with congenital limb defects last week in the coffee estate area in Sakleshpur taluk. It is said that the mother elephant attempted to feed milk to it and failed as the baby male elephant could not stand on its own for two to three days.
The baby elephant got separated from its mother. Later, villagers alerted the officials of the Forest Department and veterinarian Muralidhar provided treatment to the injured elephant. Finally, it was brought to Sakrebailu for additional treatment.
Speaking to DH, veterinary officer Vinay, who is treating the baby elephant, said, though intake of milk is good, the survival rate is low. At this stage, bone replacement and post-therapy are not possible. So rest is the best treatment for it now. "We are hopeful that it will recover from its defect in the coming months," he stated.
He admitted that it was a challenging task as the baby elephant is suffering from a neurological disorder and it has not consumed the cholesterol milk at all from its mother. After two days of treatment, it is showing some improvement to stand on its own.
With the arrival of the baby elephant, the number of elephants rose to 23 in the Sakrebailu elephants' camp.