For nature lovers and animal lovers , North Bengal is a paradise. As I am also posted in Siliguri which is the main town in North Bengal, I have also developed a liking for its abundant natural beauty and wild lives. I keep monitoring the events taking place in and around forest of North Bengal through news paper. I feel disturbed when an elephant or a tiger run over by a speeding train. Being an electrical engineer, I blame my community when an elephant is electrocuted by overhead high tension wires. List is quite long as struggle for existence is intensifying day by day for the animals and birds and they are fighting a loosing battle.
Among all these negative things , there are rays of hope also. Recently two elephant calves have been rescued from being washed away in river Torsa during flood. One of them is 45 days old and another is around one year. They got detached from their herd and were unable to rejoin the herd. They were totally exhausted fighting for the life against flood. Finally they were rescued by villagers from river island stuck in deep mud and handed them over to forest guards. Forest officials took utmost care with the help of experts. They were administered saline and given milk powder. However that was not enough. The baby elephant is in urgent need of mother’s milk immediately otherwise it could not be survived. Forest official has one pet female elephant who has a one and half year old calf. Her name is Champakali and she is till lactating. It is a very good news for forest officials and baby elephant is brought near champakoli , the foster mother. At first she does not allow the baby to come near her. Her own son is also not very happy. But forest guards keep trying. Gradually Champakali accepted the baby and allow it to have milk from her. Thank God, one problem is solved. The other one is recovering slowly and is fed on sprouted chana and green grass and banana. It has also got a foster mother in form of a 40 yrs old female elephant. They have developed friendship with other elephant calves and now they are quite happy.
It is a story of man –animal relation which is thousands years old. We can not afford to be ruthless with them . We need them and they need us. We will be happy only if they remain with us. A world inhabited only by human and devoid of all other animal will be a hell . Let us work together for a better tomorrow.
