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Stress has its impact on pachyderms too

BERHAMPUR: Stress caused miscarriage of a pregnant female elephant in the herd of stray elephants from Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary, which is now roaming in the forests of Ganjam district.

The still born elephant foetus was found in the agricultural fields near Nimisola village of Ganjam block on Monday. Predators had eaten a few portions of its body and head. As it was a developed foetus, the local villagers thought it to be a baby elephant of the herd, which was killed by some miscreants.

Forest officials reached the spot and seized the foetus and sent it for autopsy. From autopsy it was ascertained that it was a well-developed foetus, which had become victim of a miscarriage of its pachyderm mother. The veterinary experts feel one of the reasons behind this miscarriage may be stress of its mother during aimless roaming with the herd and the panicking techniques like blasting of crackers used by humans to drive out these wild elephants when they come near human habitats.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Berhampur, A.K. Jena said the foetus was more than 15-months-old. The elephants have a 22-month-long pregnancy period. According to him the herd of 17 elephants from Chandaka Elephant Sanctuary that had entered Ganjam district is now divided into two groups. One group with ten elephants is now roaming near Tangi, while the other group of seven elephants was found near Barabara jungles in Ganjam district.

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