Mother elephant refuses to abandon trapped calf in Malaysia
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Officers sedated the female elephant believed to be the calf’s mother and drove the others away before freeing the calf.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM FENDYALWI91/TIKTOK
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Netizens in Malaysia were moved by a mother elephant’s love after she stayed by her calf’s side when the younger animal was caught in a rope snare at an oil palm plantation in the north-eastern state of Terengganu.
The Department of Wildlife and National Parks freed the calf on June 5, reported the Malay Mail.
State department director Loo Kean Seong said it was alerted to the problem at around 2.30pm and six officers were sent to the scene.
The young elephant’s leg had been trapped in a cow rope snare, with five adult elephants nearby. All are wild.
Officers sedated the female elephant believed to be the calf’s mother and drove the others away before cutting the rope, he said.
The calf was found to be in stable condition, with no serious injury, and the mother was given an antidote to reverse the sedative.
She safely rejoined the herd, said Mr Loo.
Footage of the incident showing the mother mammal sticking to the young elephant’s side even as the others scattered has gone viral.
According to media outlet Sinar Harian, the snare was believed to have been set up by cattle farmers who use the plantation as a grazing area.
“There were reports of wild elephants disturbing the plantation that morning, and workers had tried to drive them out,” Mr Loo said.
“It is likely the calf was separated and became trapped while trying to return to the forest,” he added.
