Vet Provides Pajamas for Traumatized Baby Elephants Separated from Mothers

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In an inspiring act of compassion, a creative veterinarian has found a heartwarming solution to help two traumatized baby elephants get a good night’s sleep after being separated from their mothers.

Rupa, a three-month-old elephant, and Aashi, eleven months old, struggled to rest on the cold concrete floor of their rescue center in north-eastern India.

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Rupa’s early life was marked by a dangerous fall down a steep rocky bank, leaving her trapped and separated from her mother. Thankfully, villagers rescued her and brought her to the rescue center.

Aashi, right, watches proceedings with interest as Rupa has her boots fitted, specially designed to help the pair sleep

Aashi, whose name translates to ‘joy and laughter’ in Hindu, was found in an Assam tea garden without her mother or herd, and after a brief reunion, she was again left alone.

Recognizing the need for warmth and comfort, Dr. Panjit Basumatary, a veterinarian at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) rescue center, devised a thoughtful idea.

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They’re off to the land of nod: Rupa, left, and Aashi are fast asleep in their tailor-made bed socks, boots, and blanket jim-jams

He provided custom-made pajamas and night socks for the baby elephants to ensure they stayed warm during the nights. Initially met with skepticism, the elephants quickly adjusted to their cozy nightwear, and keepers noticed significant improvements in their well-being.

The caring initiative is crucial, as the area faces a growing problem of baby elephants being separated from their mothers due to poaching and human encroachment on their natural habitats.

The region boasts a high concentration of Asian elephants and is home to the world’s largest population of greater one-horned rhinoceroses.

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Rupa had terrible wounds when she was rescued, left, compared to being all snuggly in their pajamas, right, as they are fed milk

With the loving care they receive at the IFAW center, Rupa and Aashi gradually recover from their traumas.

Once they are weaned off bottle-fed formula milk, the plan is to release them back into the wild in about two years, either in Kaziranga or Manas, a nearby national park.

However, caring for these baby elephants is not without challenges. It costs around £50 a day to support one baby elephant during its first three months at the IFAW center, and they require new boots every two weeks.

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Philip Mansbridge, the UK director of IFAW, emphasizes the importance of protecting these endangered Asian elephants, stating that the rescue efforts are making a tangible difference. The ultimate goal is to give this magnificent species a chance to thrive and recover.

If you wish to contribute and support IFAW’s commendable work in rescuing and protecting elephants and other animals, visit www.ifaw.org.

Dr Basumatary, right, and a volunteer treat Rupa’s injured leg on her arrival at the center having fallen into a ravine
Wrapped in blankets, the two young elephants are led to their sleeping quarters with the promise of a nightcap

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