Elephant calf dies at Nathua village

Statesman News Service
January 18, 2009


DHENKANAL, Jan 18: A six month old elephant calf died at Nathua village in Sadar block when it fell into a pit and was unable to climb to safety. The carcass was recovered by forest officials yesterday.
Forest officials are hard pressed and spend sleepless nights as a herd of 22 elephants are on the rampage along the Kamkashyanagar to Sadar block area in the district.
According to villagers, jumbos have destroyed houses and standing crops on a large scale.
After moving from Kamakshanagar to Nathua the herd has played havoc here and the calf may have fallen into the ditch as the herd moved ahead said villagers.
Thousands of people in Nathua and nearby villages keep vigil as they are unprotected against marauding herds.
Meanwhile forest officers said they suspected brain injury to be the cause of death of the calf. It got hurt in the fall and died, they observed while adding that a postmortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.