Grieving jumbos guard carcass of calf in Tamil Nadu
The New Indian Express
July 26, 2021
Gudalur forest department staff and veterinarian were unable to approach
the carcass of the calf elephant, which died in a swamp, to perform
postmortem examination for the second consecutive day, as a herd of
elephants guarded the spot.
Sources said that since Saturday night, as many as ten elephants joined the
two cow elephants near the Gudalur Thaluk Muslim Orphanage located between
Gudalur to Sulthan Bathery road.
Speaking to Express, forest sources said that they had planned to conduct
the postmortem examination on Sunday hoping that the adult elephants would
leave the spot, but their plan did not succeed. “We suspect that the
incessant rain could prevented foul smell emanating from the carcass. We
have not taken efforts to go near the carcass due to rain. We will be
performing postmortem examination to know the age and sex only when the
herd of elephants leave the spot.”
Commenting on the elephants behaviour, K Kalidass of Osai, an NGO, said
that not only cow elephants, but the entire herd of elephants are closely
usually attached with a calf. Unable to bear the loss, the animals are
showing social bonding and are roaming near the carcass, he said, adding
that there were incidents of cow elephants holding deceased calf in their
trunks. The calf died after getting caught in a swamp when the animal,
along with two cow elephants came to quench their thirst.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/jul/26/grieving-jumbos-guard-carcass-of-calf-in-tamil-nadu-2335392.html
Grieving jumbos guard carcass of calf in Tamil Nadu
The New Indian Express
July 26, 2021
Gudalur forest department staff and veterinarian were unable to approach
the carcass of the calf elephant, which died in a swamp, to perform
postmortem examination for the second consecutive day, as a herd of
elephants guarded the spot.
Sources said that since Saturday night, as many as ten elephants joined the
two cow elephants near the Gudalur Thaluk Muslim Orphanage located between
Gudalur to Sulthan Bathery road.
Speaking to Express, forest sources said that they had planned to conduct
the postmortem examination on Sunday hoping that the adult elephants would
leave the spot, but their plan did not succeed. “We suspect that the
incessant rain could prevented foul smell emanating from the carcass. We
have not taken efforts to go near the carcass due to rain. We will be
performing postmortem examination to know the age and sex only when the
herd of elephants leave the spot.”
Commenting on the elephants behaviour, K Kalidass of Osai, an NGO, said
that not only cow elephants, but the entire herd of elephants are closely
usually attached with a calf. Unable to bear the loss, the animals are
showing social bonding and are roaming near the carcass, he said, adding
that there were incidents of cow elephants holding deceased calf in their
trunks. The calf died after getting caught in a swamp when the animal,
along with two cow elephants came to quench their thirst.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/jul/26/grieving-jumbos-guard-carcass-of-calf-in-tamil-nadu-2335392.html