Cuttak, Feb 13: A 30-year-old wild elephant has given birth to a calf inside the stockyard of a factory in Kuparisingh in Orissa's Cuttack district on Saturday, reports India TV correspondent Prasanta Patnaik.
The pregnant elephant which was with a herd of about eight to ten wild elephants moving around between Cuttack and Dhenkanal district, had strayed away from the herd and entered the stockyard of the factory after damaging its walls in several places.The female elephant created havoc inside the stockyard by damaging bicycles and cycles as well as other properties.
To the shock and surprise of all on Saturday, it gave birth to a calf inside the stockyard and was seen taking care of the newborn by fondling it with its trunk and sprinkling sands over it to dry up it and get it cleaned.
The mother elephant was so possessive, that it did not leave the area and guarded the baby by circling around the area inorder to ensure that none could reach the baby.
Though some workers of the factory and forest officials were watching the elephant and its baby from a distance none have sofar dared to go closer to the baby.The forest officials have taken care of not allowing vehicles inside the stock-yard and nearby factory premises not to disturb the mother elephant.
