Forest dept takes steps to unite elephant calf with its herd

Mangaluru, Oct 30: An elephant calf calf that had entered Kadirudyavara village had to stay back after other members in the herd escaped into the forest.

Kadirudyavara village is situated on the foothills of Western Ghats. Many times Elephants frequent the farms and plantations here. Similarly, an elephant had come and the villagers it chased away.

While the bigger ones managed to escape into the forest, the elephant calf, about eight-month-old, could not maintain pace with them and was forced to stay in the village. The villagers tried to control it.

However, the forest officials who came to the spot have taken steps for the return of the calf to the forest.

“Our people are guarding it and ensuring that the villagers do not come near it. We are sure that shortly the others in the herd will return from the nearby reserve forest to take back the younger one. That is how elephants behave. We want it to unite with its family,” DCF Dr. V Karikalan said.