Year of arrival: 2024
Age at the time of arrival: Approximately 9 months
Sex: Female
Personality traits: Still a baby, Bani is playful and mischievous. She likes to hold her own bottle of milk and makes rumbling trumpets if not given her bottle on time.
Recognisable features: High impact of collision with train has caused paralysis in Bani’s hind limbs, making her unable to stand; evident pigmentation in between the area of her eyes
Health condition when rescued: Muscular atrophy in thigh muscle of left hindlimb; fractures in spinous process at lumbosacral region; inflammation around her hip girdle and femur head, suggesting potential muscle damage or joint dislocation; abrasion wounds on both sides of her body and under her legs, bed sores due to prolonged recumbency
Facility: Elephant Hospital Campus
Favourite food: Banana and green fodder
Favourite activities: Enjoys lounging under the sun and likes to indulge in a relaxing dust bath.
Background: Nine-month-old Bani became a victim of a train collision in Uttarakhand when she was crossing the tracks with a herd of wild elephants. Left abandoned by the panicked herd, the paralysed elephant calf was discovered in a field beside the tracks. The baby elephant was found suffering from significant injuries on her spine, hips, and legs, rendering her unable to stand. Initial medical aid was provided by the Uttarakhand Forest Department, shortly after which Wildlife SOS was called upon for immediate intervention. | READ MORE ABOUT BANI.