The forest department is carefully treating a wild elephant calf that fell sick and lay at the foot of a hill in Khutakhali, Chakaria, in Cox's Bazar. Guards have been posted beside the calf until it recovers and returns to the forest.

The calf suddenly collapsed on Monday night while walking with its herd at the foot of the hills in Khutakhali mouza. After eyewitnesses raised the alarm, treatment began on Tuesday, said Md Anwar Hossain Sarkar, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Cox's Bazar North Forest Division.

He said a forest department patrol rushed to the spot on Tuesday morning after hearing from local people. After assessing the situation, they called in the veterinary doctor of Dulahazara Safari Park, and a team of vets began treating the calf on Tuesday afternoon.

Veterinary doctor Zulkarnain said: "The calf has badly injured its leg. The leg has gone numb and it cannot get up at all. We have been treating it since Tuesday, and we are hopeful it will soon recover and walk again."

DFO Anwar Hossain said: "Since treatment began, our people have been staying close to the calf in shifts at all times. I went and saw it myself on Wednesday afternoon. We have arranged round-the-clock patrols in the area." The guard and patrol teams said neither the mother nor any other elephant herd had come to the area since the incident.

Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shaheen Imran said he had learnt of the calf through the divisional forest officer, and had advised that it be nursed back to health and returned to the forest by any means.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.