Bani the elephant has learned to walk again after being given just a 2% chance of survival after the animal was hit by a train in an accident which killer her mother
Her mother was killed in the accident in India and Bani was flung clear but suffered life-threatening injuries. She was given a 2% chance of survival by forest rangers who believe her mother may have tried to shield her offspring.
Even when she pulled through, vets feared the then nine-month-old orphan would never walk again because of damage to her hips and spine. But now, six months later, Bani is back on her feet after a miracle recovery and exhaustive treatment regime.
Bani the Elephant was given just a 2% chance of survival and has since defied the odds(Image: ROGER ALLEN)
At first she was held in a supportive sling and fed a diet of milk, fruit and porridge as her wounds healed. She had daily physio and laser treatment at India’s first elephant hospital run by the Wildlife SOS charity, supported by donations from Britain.
Bani was also given mud baths, massages, acupuncture and hydrotherapy. There is nothing she likes more than being hosed down with cold water after her therapy, followed by her favourite food, bananas. Vets say the intensity and type of treatment is a world first.
Debbie Haynes, the charity’s UK manager, said: “It’s wonderful to see Bani walking again. She’s a very brave little elephant.” Bani and her mum were hit crossing tracks in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. The baby elephant was found in a field, close to death. She faced a 15-hour journey by road to the hospital nearly 300 miles away in Agra.
Wildlife SOS’s CEO Kartick Satyanarayan said: “She’s a miracle. There’s still a long way to go, but we hope Bani might one day join a safe herd of other rescued elephants.” Twenty elephants are killed by trains in India each year, and the charity is working with railway firms to devise an affordable driver warning system. Kartick said: “We hope this will be Bani’s legacy.”