An elephant calf was seen wandering on a village road near the Sirumugai Forest Range in Coimbatore district on Saturday after becoming separated from its herd, prompting the Forest Department to initiate efforts to reunite it with its mother.
The calf, believed to be only a few months old, was seen roaming along the Sirumugai-Lingapuram stretch. Videos of the calf, recorded by villagers, have been widely circulated on social media, drawing attention to the situation. Forest Department officials said teams from the Sirumugai range rushed to the spot and commenced monitoring of elephant movement in the surrounding forest areas to trace the herd. Measures are under way to locate the mother and facilitate the safe return of the calf.
A forest official said the herd had moved towards the backwaters of the Bhavani near Lingapuram, and the calf got separated around 7.30 a.m. “The calf subsequently entered a human habitation. Upon receiving information, teams began tracking the herd using footprints, while a separate team is monitoring the calf, which is moving along the forest fringe,” the official said.
