By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Orissa will build a memorial for a baby female elephant which was rescued by state wild life officials on May 5, but died a few days later after its reunion with its herd.
The elephant named Kalinga, was kept in the Bharatpur wild life sanctuary for a month after it was rescued by the wildlife officials.
But, its carcass was recovered on July 1 at Bharatpur on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.
The state forest and environment department will build the memorial at the spot where the carcass was recovered, a senior state wild life official told IANS Thursday on condition of anonymity.
The decision was taken at a top-level official meeting chaired by the state chief secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy in the state secretariat Wednesday, he said.
The seven-month-old Kalinga was rescued by officials of the Chandaka elephant reserve near here on May 5 from a ditch where it was deserted by its herd.
The baby elephant was kept in a specially built enclosure in natural environments in the Bharatpur sanctuary. Initially she had some injuries which were treated by veterinary doctors with herbal medicines.
After taking care of it for a month, the wildlife officials released the baby near herds of elephants in Chandaka wild life sanctuary.
Two herds, in groups of four and 18, reached the spot where Kalinga was released and welcomed the baby elephant to their group. However, the wildlife officials discovered the calf dead in a semi-decomposed state on July 1.
The state government has also decided to name the corridor where she was under official care as the Kalinga Corridor, the official said.