The elephant calf, with its trunk missing, was first spotted by locals in January this year in Athirapally forest range in the Thrissur district.
Forest Officials in Kerala’s Athirapally have renewed their efforts to locate an elusive elephant calf with what appears to be a birth defect.
The elephant calf, with its trunk missing, was first spotted by locals in January this year in Athirapally forest range in the Thrissur district in a large herd.
In videos and photos shot by locals, the calf was seen walking next to its mother, which seemed to be taking good care of it.
After being informed by locals, the Forest Department tried to locate the herd and rescue the calf, as they feared its chances of survival in the wild were low.
It is unclear if the baby elephant was born without a trunk or lost it in an attack by another animal, like a tiger, meaning that the wound could be infected.
For nearly one-and-a-half months, the herd was missing, and many assumed that the calf could be dead by now.
But to everyone’s surprise, the calf was spotted again, this time in the Chalakkudy River, alongside its mother.
In a video shot by a local photographer, the calf was seen crossing the river protected by its mother.
The new video relieved the Forest Department, which now believes that the missing trunk could be a genetic disorder.
In March, the Forest Department also attempted to rescue the calf, but the herd again gave them a miss.
The mother and calf were also accompanied by the herd of some 12 elephants, which seemed to be highly protective. After the news spread about its sighting, which attracted visitors and plantation workers to the spot, the herd withdrew into the wild.