By Bijoy Handique

 

Jorhat :  Locals from the Letekojan Tea Estate spotted an injured elephant cub who was limping within the garden area for the past two days after being separated from a herd of wild elephants which has came out from Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in search of food as the herd was separated three days back when other members from the herd left the mother and her cub alone at the Letekojan Tea Estate area, as they went back after a couple of days as they finished food in the said area and moved to different direction, said Pradip Gogoi, a Range Officer from Mariani Forest range.

 

The Forest Rant Officer said the mother and her injured cub was separated from the herd of a 35 to 40 numbers of elephant herd since past three days. The cub received injury on her right leg. Both mother and cub are starving at this garden area. The Forest from the Mariani Range Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary and l;ocals from the area are providing food and water to both the mother and injured cub which has been kept under tight security alert by the Forest Division so that no one makes movement near to the injured family as it is very dangerous for any at this moment.

 

Though a medical team headed by Drt. Samsul Ali from Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Kaziranga arrived on Saturday could not reached to the injured cub which was dangerous as the mother turned aggressive as the injury was suspected to have been done during man-elephant conflict while they were on the move from the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary few days ago. The injury could not be spotted as the cub was guarded by the herd members but before going for treatment both mother and the cub had to be tranquilized only then surgery or other medical care could be carried out, said an Forest Official quoting medical inputs from WWF Medical team.