Forest Department builds cradle for baby elephant

The elephant calf got separated from its mother and strayed into the village. The villagers spotted the one-and-half-month-old calf near the human settlements for the first time on Monday evening. As the calf did not return to forest even after a day, they informed the Forest Department. 

On intimation, a team of forest officials, headed by Ranger Manoharan, came to the village and tried to spot the mother elephant. Their attempts to reunite the calf with its mother failed. The effort became tough after a large number of people thronged to see the calf while it was grazing near Pandallur-Gudallur Highway. 

The forest officials then had to seek the assistance of police to disperse the crowd. Though the calf entered the forest by night, it again appeared near the village the next day. The villagers gave it water and once again intimated the Forest Department.

The officials on reaching the spot decided to construct a cradle to protect the baby from an attack by other wild animals. The cradle is built in such a way that the mother elephant can dismantle it easily and take the baby with her.