Abandoned elephant calf beats odds after rescue in Kerala, minister shares video

Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh has shared a video of a one-day-old elephant calf abandoned by her herd, whose remarkable recovery after being rescued in Kerala has gone viral on social media.

In his post, Singh described the elephant calf’s survival as nothing short of miraculous and recounted her difficult journey toward recovery.

The calf was rescued by the Kerala Forest Department and brought to the Abhayaranyam Elephant Rehabilitation Centre after being found abandoned shortly after birth.

Singh said that the baby elephant battled incredible odds and took 40 days to stand on her own feet despite the dedicated efforts of forest officials and veterinarians.

“I named her Maya because her survival is truly miraculous - a testament to resilience, care, and compassion,” Singh said in the caption of his post.

The video showed Singh feeding bananas to Maya and interacting with the teams working tirelessly for her recovery during his visit to the rehabilitation centre.

“Every life saved is a victory for conservation,” Singh said, calling the experience of spending time with the calf deeply moving.

Watch the video here:

Maya’s recovery also demonstrates how timely rescue and rehabilitation can be crucial to the survival of vulnerable elephants.