A herd of elephants are camping in the banks of Mahanadi river in Arang region coming under the Atal Nagar limits creating a sense of fear among the residents of nearby villages.
The Forest Department Team has provided primary medication to the wounded calf.
According to villagers, the herd has around 16 elephants, one among them is a calf which was found to be injured.
On hearing the news, the Forest Department team arrived at the spot. The team is accompanied by wild life veterinary doctor Jaikishore Jadia and his team.
Dr Jadia when contacted said that the 15-20 days old calf which was already wounded had fallen in a pit near the Mahanadi river. The calf had remained in the pit for whole night and had struggled inside. The villagers after hearing the noise had pulled out the calf from the pit. They had later intimated the Forest Department.
He added, “As the calf is just 15-20 days old, it does not have enough strength and the struggle had made him too weak. It has multiple wounds, along with it, has pus on the body. It has been given primary treatment. The response of the calf was weak during the morning hours but after evening hours, it has been found to be moving its legs. There is a need for taking care of the calf in isolation for better recovery and treatment.”
He added that now the herd is protecting the calf due to which team cannot go near it to provide further treatment. "As now it is night we will visit in the morning to see further development in the calf's health.”
The Forest Department team meanwhile is trying to ensure that the herd does not enter into the nearby villages .