Rescued elephant calf dies despite intensive treatment

An elephant calf that became separated from its herd and was rescued by wildlife officials in Kanchanaburi province last week has died, with veterinarians initially suspecting acute kidney failure as the cause.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin said on Tuesday that he had been informed by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Director-General Attapol Charoenchansa that the calf had not survived, despite intensive efforts to save it.

The calf, estimated to be about two weeks old and nicknamed 'Jiw Noi' (Little One), died peacefully at about 2am on Tuesday at Sai Yok National Park.

Suchart said he was saddened by the loss, adding that he had travelled to the park on Monday to monitor the calf's condition, encourage the veterinary team and ensure officials provided the best possible treatment, as there was still hope it would recover.

He described the loss as heartbreaking for both himself and the officials who had cared for the young elephant. Over the past few days, veterinarians and park staff had provided intensive care, including intravenous fluids, oxygen therapy and 24-hour monitoring.

The calf was also bottle-fed every two to three hours and continued drinking milk normally despite becoming increasingly weak.

Officials said the calf repeatedly tried to stand but suffered bouts of diarrhoea and produced dark-coloured urine, indicating a worsening condition.

Blood tests showed evidence of rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving severe muscle breakdown. Veterinarians also suspect it may have had congenital abnormalities affecting its internal organs.

When the calf was found last Thursday, an initial examination identified it as a male weighing about 40kg. Veterinarians said it was severely dehydrated and exhausted, with multiple abrasions, blisters and wounds around its mouth and trunk.