Uma was separated from her mother shortly after her birth in the Najibabad forest division of Bijnor district. This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding wildlife management and the protection of animal families in their natural habitats.
Pilibhit: Much like Bhawani — an orphaned three-year-old calf who was brought to Dudhwa Tiger Reserve from Bijnor at just 21 days old and found a loving home with a six-year-old elephant named Durga — another eight-month-old female calf, Uma, has found a surrogate mother and a second chance at life at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR). Four days ago, she was adopted by Nisarga, a 16-year-old female camp elephant, after reserve authorities, under close supervision, experimented by leaving Uma with the adult female.
They learn to find water sources and how to dig into dry riverbeds with their trunks to reach water-bearing spots, use their trunks for drinking, breathing and grasping food and select plants that are safe to eat,” said Manish Singh , divisional forest officer of PTR. Uma had also been deprived of consuming her mother’s dung, which normally contains a large amount of partially digested and undigested vegetation, according to officials. “Elephant calves learn many vital survival skills from their mothers that humans can never teach them. This early solid food helps calves adapt to consuming vegetation and promotes the development of digestion-friendly bacteria in their intestines, aiding the digestion of plant matter. Consequently, Uma tries to chew grass but spits it out immediately.
Since then, Uma has been learning essential life skills from her surrogate mother, who takes care of the calf almost round the clock, except for a few hours when she goes into the forest as part of her routine.