Abandoned elephant calf to be shifted to camp in Shivamogga

An eight-month-old elephant calf, abandoned by a herd near the Payaswini riverbank in Dakshina Kannada district, is being shifted to Sakkarebailu elephant camp in Shivamogga, forest officials said today.

The male calf had strayed into human habitat a few days agowith seven other elephants. As the calf wassuffering from dehydration, the herd left it, they said.

"We waited for two days expecting the herd to take the calf back. Yesterday, the other elephants tried to carry it, but their efforts failed," Manjunath, a forest official said.

Under normal circumstances, the adult elephants would return to take care of their calf. In this case,they didn't, he added.

The forest department personnel administered ninebottles of glucose to the calf on April 8, and 11 bottlesyesterday.

The calf was not taking any food, hence it was being moved to Sakkarebailu, they added.