Orphaned elephant calf returns to forest

The orphaned elephant calf in Cox's Bazar has returned to the deep forest.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO Cox's Bazar-North) Towhidul Islam said the baby elephant is likely to integrate with other elephants in the herd after losing its mother.

"Elephant herds usually look after their younger members so we believe the calf will be safe," he explained.

"However, we have asked the local people to keep an eye on the grave of the mother elephant to see if the calf returns," Towhidul said, adding, "If the calf comes there alone, we will bring it to the Dulahazara Safari Park. But it is better if it remains in the forest with the herd, where it should be."

The forest department on Saturday found a dead female elephant in the deep forest of Fulchhari Range under Cox's Bazar.

Local people who gathered in the area to see the body said the baby elephant was repeatedly lying down beside its mother's body in a vain attempt to draw her attention.  

The crying calf made the onlookers emotional.

As it made to the headlines, many people from across the country contacted local reporters and enquired about updates on the orphaned calf.      

Officials from the divisional forest department, patrol team, and the Department of Livestock Services visited the Rajghat beat jungle area after learning about the incident.

They collected the lungs and other organs of the female as samples.

Fulchhari Range official Syed Abu Jakaria said, "We suspect that the female elephant died of old-age complications. We suspect it had been suffering from diseases as the lung developed water."   

The official dismissed claims that the elephant was shot. Instead, he suggested that the bullet-wound-like marks might have resulted from scratches with logs.

"Bullet wounds are different," he argued.

The dead elephant was buried later fearing the corpse could infect wildlife.

Forest officials said they fed the elephant calf and tried to send it back to the jungle. However, it returned to the forest on its own.