Bhubaneswar, Sept 2: In a tragic turn of events, two elephant calves have died in Odisha in separate incidents over the past 24 hours. One calf, which had been receiving treatment for an illness, died on Sunday at the Chandaka-Dampada Sanctuary's Elephant Training Centre. 

The three-year-old calf, originally from Deogaon in Bolangir district, had been unwell for several weeks. Despite the efforts of teams from Nandankanan Zoo and Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), the calf’s condition deteriorated, and it was unable to eat or drink. Chandaka DFO Sarat Chandra Behera stated that the calf was being administered saline before it succumbed to its illness. A post-mortem is scheduled for Monday.

In a separate incident, forest department personnel discovered the carcass of another elephant calf in the Baripada-Similipal sanctuary in Mayurbhanj district. The one-year-old calf was reportedly killed by unidentified miscreants in the Jenabil range area of the Similipal Tiger Conservation Project. Dr. Prakash Chand Gogineni, Area Director and Regional Chief Wildlife Conservator, confirmed that the calf died from an infection.

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