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Rehabilitating hand-raised elephant calves in Manas National Park

The calves in their enclosure in CWRC.

Manas National Park (Assam) April 21: Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) along with its partner the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Assam forest department has rescued and rehabilitated 13 abandoned elephant calves in Assam. Five of these were reunited with their natal herds almost immediately after their rescue. The remaining, classified as permanently displaced animals (PDA) were hand-raised by trained wildlife veterinarians and keepers in the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) based near Kaziranga National Park before being relocated and released in Manas National Park.

Six elephant calves were relocated from CWRC to Manas National Park in February 2007 by WTI, IFAW and the Assam forest department. Soft-release of two more calves from the CWRC began in Manas National Park in February this year. Following are a few pictures of the relocation of the two Asian elephant calves:

1. The calves undergoing medical examinations before their relocation. Stable health conditions of the calves are required not only for their own survival but also for the safety of the wild population of which they will soon be a part.

2. The calves being micro-chipped and radio-collared for identification and remote monitoring in the future.

3. The team wait beside the truck while the elephants are readied for the relocation. The relocation vehicle was placed in the elephants’ enclosure a day prior to the relocation to let the calves get acquainted to it and prevent them from panicking during the relocation.

4. The elephant calves are lured into the truck; fastened to prevent swaying and accompanied by their keepers during the transportation.

5. Flagging off the elephants from CWRC by the dignitaries of WTI, IFAW and Assam forest department.

6. Now in Manas, the calves are being taken for walks daily to acclimatise them to the new environment. At nights they are secured in their paddock in the Doimari range and provided with concentrate feed. As done with the older calves, the concentrate feed, their only incentive, will be gradually reduced in amount and ultimately completely stopped to discourage the calves from returning to their paddock.