Stranded elephant calf rescued, sent back to India

By Bishnu Prasad Pokharel,Damak, May 6: An elephant calf that came to Nepal from India and got stranded has been safely rescued in Jhapa. The calf was there along with two dozen elephants which came to Bahundangi in Mechinagar of Jhapa from India. 

It is said that the group of elephants left the calf and returned to India after the commotion of the people.

When the locals found the calf, which looked about one month old and injured, they gave it water and necessary food. The calf was sent to India to unite with its mother and for further treatment, said Arjun Karki, Ward Chairman of Mechinagar Municipality-4.

After seeing the elephant calf stranded at Milanchowk, locals informed campaigners working to minimise the human-elephant conflict. It is said that the calf was injured on its own by falling to the ground.

Earlier, when locals saw elephants like this, they used to beat them and kill them, but this time there was a rescue operation, Karki said. 

This time, the calf was put in a tractor by the locals themselves and sent to meet its mother with the help of an Indian Forest Officer, he said.

According to campaigner Shankar Luintel, who is running the human-elephant coexistence campaign, the calf that was found hungry and injured  has been given first aid and handed over to the  Indian forest authorities. 

The calf is being treated in India itself. Forest officials said they will find the mother. Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, an Indian citizen was seriously injured in an elephant attack. He was also rescued and sent to India.