File picture of Ganeshi being treated in Gorumara

Siliguri, July 7: An elephant calf twice rejected by its herd and rescued by foresters died in Gorumara National Park today.

“We found it very weak. It did not display the inherent reflexes of elephant calves,” said divisional forest officer Tapas Das.

Vets, mahouts and forest officials worked tirelessly to help it recuperate, but failed.

Das said the condition of Ganeshi — as the female, about seven or eight months old, had been named — deteriorated yesterday.

“We administered around 30 bottles of saline,” Das said.

“It revived the calf a bit but its health deteriorated again as soon as it urinated. We also found blood in the stool yesterday.”

Ganeshi died around noon today.

“Our worst fears came true as several ulcers were found in the calf’s abdomen. Its spleen was white, indicating the lack of RBC formation, which had increased its weakness and reduced immunity. A throat congestion with mucous had aggravated its illness,” Das said.

The death brought to a close an extraordinary sequence of events that began in the third week of June when foresters were trying to bring back a herd of 50 elephants from the India-Nepal border after a calf and an adult were killed by electric shock and gunshots.

The adult, which was lactating, is believed to be Ganeshi’s mother.

On June 26, when the herd was on its way back to the Bengdubi forest, the calf was found alone in a cornfield. The herd had probably left the straggler behind.

At a beat office, foresters led by Sukna range officer Kanchan Banerjee gave the calf water, kept it under observation for a day and released it near the herd.

However, while the herd crossed the Balason to reach Bamanpokhri, about 20km from Siliguri, the calf was found alone on a field near the army ammunition depot at Bengdubi. “We took no chances this time and shifted the calf to Gorumara for treatment. It had been there since,” the range officer said.