(IN) The sad story of Kalinga on film

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*http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9 & theme= & usrsess=1 & id=161596

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*Tusker video on the anvil*

 

Press Trust Of India

BHUBANESWAR, July 3: Orissa's forest department has decided to produce a

documentary on Kalinga, the baby elephant that died recently in the wild, to

keep alive memories of its short life. The baby elephant was reared by

wildlife personnel for 40 days, from the time it was abandoned by its herd

on the outskirts of this city till it rejoined its mother before its death.

The eight-month-old calf was left behind by the herd when it fell into a

ditch near Kalinga Studios here on May 5.

Kalinga died last week in Bharatpur jungle, 10 days after it was taken away

by its mother. The elephant's body was found on Sunday.

Chandaka's emotional divisional forest officer Mr Akshyay Patnaik is busy

collecting video footage of Kalinga. " We have preserved several video clips

of the time Kalinga when was rescued and fed, and her time with forest

personnel in the sanctuary, " he said.

According to Mr Patnaik, Kalinga's was a unique case as the elephant had

rejoined its herd after staying with humans for 40 days. It is generally

believed that elephants refuse to accept a member back into the herd if it

comes in contact with humans. " But Kalinga was altogether different in that

sense, " Patnaik said. The forest staff developed an emotional bond with

Kalinga, which was fed milk and a particular brand of baby food. The calf

was very attached to her mahut, Chilu Nayak, who looked after Kalinga for

over a month, he said.

Mr Patnaik, who has written a 15-minute script for the documentary, said it

would have the dense Chandka forest near the capital city as its backdrop.

The film will be made in both Oriya and English languages.

" I am talking to different professionals to lend their voice for the

documentary because I think it would be no less a product than stories of

African safaris, " he said. Besides the forest department, many wildlife

lovers have also shot footage of Kalinga in different moods. " We will

collect this and put it in the documentary, which will bring out the

emotional angle. The film can also be used as a scientific document for

researchers. It will include the psychology of elephants as a species.

" The documenmtary will help in creating awareness about elephants as we have

put a common question for the viewers. Who is responsible for the death of

this elephant? Is it not due to man-animal conflict? " Mr Patnaik said.

Had there been no conflict between humans and elephants, Kalinga would not

have died at all, he said. The calf would not have been left behind by the

herd had there not been any provocation from the public. The senior members

of the herd would have picked up the calf from the ditch, he claimed.

" Are calves not falling into ditches inside forests? They are rescued by

other elephants. But Kalinga was left behind because the herd felt

threatened, " he said.