Despite all-out rescue efforts, Rhino cub dies from infection

Jalpaiguri/ Alipurduar: A rhino cub that was rescued after being swept away by a river died in Jaldapara National Park on Sunday morning. During autopsy, sand and mud were recovered from its stomach. The sand and mud had caused infection in its intestines, which the forest department claimed as the cause of death.

On Thursday afternoon, the cub was grazing along with its mother in the forest under Gorumara South Range. Somehow, the cub fell into the Gorati River. Forest workers made all-out efforts to rescue it, with the cub finally being saved from the Zero badh of Nathua Char area by the forest staff of Khunia squad. Till Friday, the forest workers tried to reunite the cub with its mother, cordoning off the area to prevent any unnecessary crowding. However, due to physical pain and lack of mother’s milk, the cub gradually got weak. By Friday afternoon, with the cub’s mother still missing, the rhino cub was brought to Jaldapara National Park for rehabilitation and treatment. Despite all the efforts, the cub passed away on Sunday morning.

Previously, in 2018, a similar cub had been rescued and sent to Alipore Zoo in Kolkata after rehabilitation at Jaldapara. He is famous as ‘Jaldaprasad’ and has adapted well to captivity. Rajendra Jakhar, CCF Wildlife North, stated: “The cub fell into the water in the river and ingested a good amount of sand and mud, as revealed during the autopsy. The intestinal infection ultimately led to the cub’s demise, despite our best efforts.”