Help save orphaned elephant babies in India

Greetings from Wildlife Trust of India!

Hope you are doing well!

This email comprises an update on our project ‘Help Rehabilitate 9 elephant babies in India’. Along the updates, we send to you our heartfelt gratitude for the generosity and for your trust in the work we do to nurture and raise these orphaned kids. It is through such acts of kindness that we are able to give these calves a second chance at life and return them to their true home, as free, wild elephants.

At WTI’s Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), our team of animal keepers and veterinarians is trying to raise the young ones as close to how their own mothers would in the wild. From years of experience in raising orphaned wild calves and cubs, we can tell you that’s no easy feat.

Thank you so much for contributing to their daily nourishment and food. We are very grateful to you for the support. The calves are all doing well, developing their natural wild instincts and preparing for a life in the wild.

A couple months back we encountered a very challenging situation. All the elephant calves were showing symptoms of EEHV (Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus), which is a fatal haemorrhagic disease that mostly affects young Asian elephants. The mortality rate among the infected individuals is dreadfully high.

As the calves started showing initial symptoms of the disease, we all got very worried, and the team was on its toes to mitigate the impact and save the calves. Immediate intervention and preventive treatment – the tests and medicines – worked and thankfully all the calves survived.

We are so happy now that the kids have safely recovered, regained their health and are back to their normal routine. They are growing up well and have even started accompanying the animal keepers on regular walks into the forest, where they learn the essential survival skills and get accustomed to their forever wild home.

Another interesting observation is how the eldest female elephant calf has taken up the role of the herd leader. All the younger ones follow her around, which is quite similar to the elephant herds in the wild who are led by wise, old matriarchs.

These bonds they form are so special and we feel so happy to play a role in their beautiful journey. We are sure you too feel the same.

Once again, thank you so much for supporting their rehabilitation back to the wild.

Warm regards,

Team WTI