Midnapore (West Bengal) : Residents of Chandan Kath village in Midnapore District of West Bengal, often at the receiving end of elephant attacks, were moved when they found an elephant calf writhing in pain.
The villagers informed the forest department and asked for immediate medical help for the jumbo.
Attacks by elephants have been frequent in West Bengal state causing serious injuries and deaths to villagers living near forests.
The villagers were agitated as no official from the forest department turned up to attend to the injured animal.
A villager, Raju Das, said the villagers’ repeated pleas for help fell on deaf ears.
“If the officials wanted, they could have started the treatment hours ago. I went to madam, range officer and the beat officer, but they only kept assuring me, saying that the doctor will come,” said Das.
The calf, in a visibly serious state, writhed in pain as he lay in a field.The forest department officials reached the spot only after villagers started protesting.
“Doctors are coming and the treatment of the elephant will be started soon,” said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Bijay Shalimar.
However, the treatment of the calf could begin only by the end of the day. (ANI)