kp6.”Sharing comfort in difficult times: Veterinarian’s innovative approach brings peaceful sleep to separated baby elephants.”

Rupa, a three-month-old elephant, and Aashi, eleven months old, struggled to find comfort on the cold concrete floor of their rescue center in northeastern India.

Rupa’s early days were marked by a problematic fall down a steep rocky bank, leading to her separation from her mother. Villagers came to her aid and brought her to the safety of the rescue center.

Observing keenly, Aashi, named for ‘joy and laughter’ in Hindu, watched as Rupa was fitted with specially designed boots to aid their sleep.

Aashi, discovered in an Assam tea garden without her mother or herd, experienced a brief reunion only to be left alone again.

Recognizing the need for warmth and solace, Dr. Panjit Basumatary, a veterinarian at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) rescue center, ingeniously conceived a thoughtful solution.

Dr. Basumatary introduced custom-made pajamas and night socks for the baby elephants, ensuring their warmth during the night.

Initially met with skepticism, the elephants quickly adapted to their snug nightwear, with keepers noting significant improvements in their well-being.

This caring initiative is crucial, given the region’s escalating issue of baby elephants being separated from their mothers due to poaching and human encroachment on their natural habitats.

The area boasts a high concentration of Asian elephants and is home to the world’s largest population of greater one-horned rhinoceroses.

Under the tender care provided at the IFAW center, Rupa and Aashi gradually heal from their traumatic experiences.

Once they transition from bottle-fed formula milk, they will be reintroduced into the wild in approximately two years, either in Kaziranga or Manas, a nearby national park.

However, caring for these baby elephants comes with its set of challenges. Supporting one baby elephant during its initial three months at the IFAW center costs around £50 a day, requiring new boots every two weeks.

Highlighting the critical importance of safeguarding endangered Asian elephants, Philip Mansbridge, the UK director of IFAW, stresses that the ongoing rescue efforts are making a measurable impact.

The ultimate aim is to offer this magnificent species the chance to survive, flourish, and fully recover.

Enveloped in blankets, the two young elephants are guided to their sleeping quarters with the enticing prospect of a nightcap.