A baby elephant named Bani, meaning “Mother Earth,” faced a tragic accident in mid-December when she was hit by a speeding train near Corbett National Park in northern India.
The collision left the 9-month-old calf with severe injuries and paralysis. Sadly, Bani’s mother, who was also pregnant, did not survive the accident.
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For over a month, wildlife authorities worked tirelessly to treat Bani’s hip and spine injuries at a local facility, but her condition showed little improvement.
In early February, she was transferred to the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, which houses India’s first veterinary hospital dedicated solely to elephants.
Despite their best efforts, veterinarians at the center have struggled to locate all of Bani’s fractures. “We’ve conducted several X-rays, but pinpointing the fractures has been challenging,” explained Dr. A.
Sha Arun is a senior veterinarian at Wildlife SOS. He highlighted that the hip area, in particular, is difficult to examine due to its bulk.
The veterinary team reported that Bani also sustained multiple wounds to her back and groin, which have been slow to heal.
Elephants are known for their advanced emotional intelligence, and experts believe that the trauma of losing her mother in the accident could be affecting Bani’s psychological well-being, potentially hindering her physical recovery.
However, there is some hope. Bani has started to show signs of improvement, becoming more playful with her caregivers, holding their hands with her trunk, eating well, and responding positively to treatment.
The accident that injured Bani is part of a larger issue in India, where expanding railway networks have devastated wildlife. Conservationists argue that train tracks should not intersect with wildlife corridors.
In response to these ongoing tragedies, Tamil Nadu in southern India recently became the first state to introduce an AI and machine learning-enabled surveillance system to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks.
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