Abandoned elephant calf rescued and put back into herd at Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga, September 9, 2000: On 9th September 2000 the rescue team received an urgent call from Baguri Range of the National Park saying that a Mahout had noticed a wild elephant calf trapped in Water Hyacinth, the herd having abandoned it. The calf was then rescued and was found to be less than two weeks old, with its umbilical cord still attached. The WTI veterinarian provided first aid to the animal and took it in the ambulance into the park. Meanwhile, the forest guard managed to find the rest of the herd and in a joint operation, the calf was returned to its family.

This was the first ever incident of its kind where an Elephant calf was rescued and put back into its natal herd.

The WTI Wild Rescue Team assisted the Kaziranga National Park staff in this operation. A veterinarian and an ambulance had been kept at Kaziranga for emergency action during the floods, for the previous two months.

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