Elephant calves in Assam face threat

Times of India

April 16, 2007

MANAS: Six translocated elephant calves in the national park here are facing a threat - not from poachers but from blood-sucking parasites, prompting the authorities to drug them for temporary relief.

"Tabanus flies are found in abundance during this time of the year in Manas and there is hardly any place for the calves to wallow without getting bitten," said Bhaskar Choudhury of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), who is monitoring the elephant rehabilitation project.

"One of the calves, which suffered from restlessness after there were small pustules all over its body following the bites, had to be given antihistamine injections," he said.

In February, the calves -- hand-raised in Kaziranga's Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation -- were brought to Diomari area here as part of an unique experiment of reintroducing them in the wild.

"The calves had never experienced the painful bites before, since Kaziranga is not infected by these parasites," Choudhury said, adding they will need more time to adapt to the situation.

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