A wild elephant brought for treatment to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Safari Park at Dulahazra in Chakaria, Cox's Bazar, in the hope of returning it to the forest, has died. Despite every effort, it could not be sent back to the forest alive. It died 16 days after it was brought to the park.

After a post-mortem on the night of Saturday, 28 May, the elephant was buried in the park's Hatirgoda area.

The injured female elephant, which had been stuck in mud at Kodala in Rangunia, Chattogram, was brought to the safari park by truck on the afternoon of 13 May. It ate a little after arriving, but within a week gradually stopped eating. Despite various attempts, it could not be fed anything more, and it finally died.

Md Mazharul Islam, the safari park's curator (officer in charge), said the wild female elephant got stuck in mud at the foot of a hill in Rangunia at noon on 30 April. Forest Department staff rescued it after much effort and sent it back into the forest. But it had injuries in several places, and mud had entered its stomach through its mouth, leaving it distressed.

A day later the elephant came back to the same area, and it was taken under the control of the Kodala forest beat for treatment, led by the safari park's veterinary surgeon. When its condition did not improve, it was sent to the safari park, where it was given intensive care. But it did not improve, and it died on Saturday morning, he said.

He said the park authorities formed a five-member medical board on 22 May to treat the sick elephant, and treatment began the next day. The board was headed by Professor Bibek Chandra Sutradhar of the Department of Medicine and Surgery at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Its members were the university's Professor Bhajan Chandra Das, Md Farhad Hossain, retired director of the Department of Livestock Services in Dhaka, and Dr Supan Nandi, Chakaria upazila livestock officer. The park's wildlife veterinarian, Hatem Sajjad Md Zulkar Nain, was member secretary.

Zulkar Nain said the elephant could barely move when it was brought to the park. It ate only a small part of what an elephant of its age should eat, and often dropped food from its mouth. It had also stopped passing dung and urine since falling ill.

Dr Supan Nandi said it had been clear on the first day of treatment that the elephant would not survive. Mud had entered its stomach, so it stopped eating and grew weaker by the day. "We still tried everything, but it could not be saved," he said.

Md Mazharul Islam said the sick elephant, about 10 years old, was given saline and medicine worth Tk 2,000 a day. "We hoped it would recover and return to the forest, but despite all our efforts it could not be saved." The post-mortem began on Saturday afternoon and ended in the evening, after which the elephant was buried. A general diary has been filed with Chakaria police station.

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