Baby Elephant That Went Viral at Wayanad School Dies

The baby elephant that garnered widespread attention after entering a school in Chekadi, Wayanad, has tragically died. The calf, which had wandered into the school premises, including the courtyard, verandah, and classrooms, while studies were underway on the eighteenth of last month, had become a curious sight.

Following its appearance at the school, the forest department captured the young elephant and relocated it to the Vettathoor forest area. However, efforts to reintegrate it with wild elephant herds proved unsuccessful, as the other elephants did not accept the calf into their group. Forest department officials had placed the baby elephant deep within the forest, but it subsequently crossed the Kabani River and made its way into the forest regions within Karnataka’s Bairakuppa Panchayat.

In the Kadagadda area of Karnataka, locals discovered the calf in an injured state and handed it over to the Karnataka Forest Department. It was then transported to an elephant care center located within the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve. The elephant calf eventually succumbed to weakness stemming from an infection.

Officials indicated that due to its injuries and young age, the calf was unable to consume solid food. Despite being cared for with a diet of goat’s milk and other sustenance for a month, its condition deteriorated. Authorities also suggested that the baby elephant may have suffered from certain diseases, which could explain why the wild herd was reluctant to take it in.

While the baby elephant had passed away two days prior at the care center within the Karnataka forest, the news of its death was only made public today.