Each of the elephant orphans below is a victim of human-elephant conflict. You can help by becoming a foster parent or by simply making a donation.
To sponsor an elephant click on the link below your chosen orphan’s profile. You can sponsor a elephant for 1, 2 or 3 years. All sponsors will receive a welcome pack which includes a emailed Certificate of Adoption and regular updates on the orphans. It costs over $500 a month or $5000 a year for the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, WTI – IFAW to feed each elephant.
Current orphans at the CWRC
Rani Deepor
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Rani Deepor was brought into the CWRC in September 2011 after being found stuck in mud in Deepor Beel. Although several attempts were made to reunite her with her herd none were successful. She was initially taken to the Guwahati Zoo and was cared for there for 10 days before being transferred to the CWRC. Rani Deepor was approximately 2-3 months old and quite healthy upon arrival. She is housed with Philip-Dev and Lily Nunai and the three are great playmates. Rani Deepor follows Philip-Dev everywhere and the two get along like a house on fire. She is a very calm and quiet calf unless she is hungry!
Foster Rani Deepor for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Rani Deepor for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Rani Deepor for 3 years: $195.00
Philip Dev
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Philip Dev was found in May 2011. The young, male calf had fallen into a deep ravine and become stuck. His mother, more than likely responding to his distress calls, followed him into the ravine and became trapped as well. The rescue team comprising of the Forest Department, vets from the IFAW-WTI run Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), and two Mobile Veterinary Service units reached the site to find the calf severely injured and unable to stand. Unfortunately his mother succumbed to her injuries and died before she could be freed.
The young calf was taken to the CWRC where he underwent intensive care for both the physical bruises and cuts that covered his small body and the grief of losing his mother. Philip Dev is a strong character and has recovered well from his huge ordeal and is starting to show some of the mischievious traits of a young elephant calf. Just recently Philip-Dev has learned how to untie shoelaces and is now quite proficient in his new hobby. He is housed with Rani Deepor and Lily Nunai and has taken on the role of matriarch as he is older than them!
Foster Philip Dev for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Philip Dev for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Philip Dev for 3 years: $195.00
Junmoni
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This female elephant calf is currently the oldest at the CWRC. She was found abandoned and was rescued from Jorhat. She was only 1 month old but healthy when she was admitted to the CWRC on 20th September 2008. Upon arrival she had some deformity in her leg which has now healed.
Junmoni has become the little mini matriarch of all the calves and she guards them protectively. Tora, especially, stays very close and follows her wherever she goes. Junmoni is quite hairy for a female elephant and even has a little beard! She is a very calm elephant and likes to wander in the nearby Panbari enclosure where she can roam for hours.
Foster Junmoni for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Junmoni for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Junmoni for 3 years: $195.00
Tora
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Tora (pronounced Tara in Assamese) was only one month old when she was found, having been abandoned by her herd for unknown reasons. Upon arrival at the CWRC she was very stressed and was attended to by a keeper for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She is now a healthy, active calf and eating solid food. Tora spends her days with Junmoni and follows her wherever she goes. She also loves the water and spending time at the waterhole is her favourite time of day, she is always the first calf in and last out.
Foster Tora for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Tora for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Tora for 3 years: $195.00
Orphans in Manas National Park
The orphans below have left the CWRC to enter the Elephant Rehabilitation program at Manas National Park and are returning to a natural life in the wild.
Sikom
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This male calf was separated from his herd when he was swept away in the currents of Jia Bhoroli river near Nameri National Park, Assam. He was rescued by Forest Department near Potasali Antipoaching camp, Nameri National Park. Sikom was 3 months old when he arrived at the CWRC on May 24 2007. He is smart, sharp, active and very alert. At the CWRC Sikom had the habit of calling the person close to him by waving his trunk and then bulldozing them to the ground.
Sikom entered the Elephant Rehabilitation Program on January 31st 2011. He was relocated to Manas National Park where he is going through a soft release and will, once again, become a wild roaming elephant. Sikom has been sighted regularly in Manas , usually in the company of Soni and Tinku.
Foster Sikom for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Sikom for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Sikom for 3 years: $195.00
Soni
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This female elephant calf visited a village along with her herd to raid crops. Villagers pushed the herd back and unfortunately Soni was left behind as she was very small and weak. She was later found roaming, lost, inside the Basti (tea garden area) in Borgang, Sonitpur. Villagers saw her and in retaliation for crop damage they vented their anger on her, injuring her trunk. The calf was kept by the villagers and later handed over to the Forest Department. The Forest Department tried to treat Soni with the help of a local vet and then tried to reunite with her natal herd but were unsuccessful. Later IFAW – WTI vets were called in as the calf was dying.
Soni was 4 months old when she was admitted to CWRC on 30th September 2007 and her wounds were treated. She was then introduced to Sikom and Deepa and they readily accepted her.
Soni entered the Elephant Rehabilitation Program on January 31st 2011 with Sikom, Tinku, Tikla and Hamren. She was relocated to Manas National Park where she, Sikom and Tinku are roaming together and starting their new lives as free roaming elephants. Soni has a radio collar which enables trackers to monitor her movements and she is sighted on a regular basis.
Foster Soni for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Soni for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Soni for 3 years: $195.00
Tikla
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This male elephant calf was rescued from a drain of Phulbari Tea Estate, the largest tea garden in Asia. He was rescued by Assam Forest Department and the tea garden manager on 20th September 2007. They tried to reunite the calf with his natal herd however they could not find them.
On 21st September 2007, Tikla was handed over to CWRC for proper growth and protection. He was only 15 days old when he was admitted to CWRC but was very healthy. He was also one of the most mischievous calf’s at the CWRC.
Tikla also entered the Elephant Rehabilitation Program on January 31st 2011. He was relocated to Manas National Park with Sikom, Soni, Hamren and Tinku and has started a new chapter in his life that will lead him to a natural life in the wild. Tikla hasn’t been sighted since September 2011.
Foster Tikla for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Tikla for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Tikla for 3 years: $195.00
Tinku
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This male elephant calf was rescued by Forest Department from a tea garden drain in Borgang range on 24th October 2007. He was 3 months old when he was handed over to the CWRC by the Forest Department. Tinku forged strong friendships with Soni and Tikla and entered the Elephant Rehabilitation Program with them on 31st January 2011 along with Sikom and Hamren. He has since paired up with Soni and Sikom and the three are often sighted together.
Foster Tinku for 1 year: $75.00
Foster Tinku for 2 years: $140.00
Foster Tinku for 3 years: $195.00
Hamren – Back in the wild
Hamren’s story is one of hope and inspiration. He was rescued in May 2008 by the Assam Forest department from Hamren, Dokmoka Range, Karbi Anglong, Assam. He was 2 years old, severely injured and in a weak condition when handed over to the CWRC. Hamren had been separated from his natal herd when they entered a village to raid crops and were chased away by locals. Kumkis (tame elephants) were used while treating Hamren as he did not allow anybody to come close to him and always retained his wild instinct.
At the CWRC Hamren spent most of his time with Deepa. He retained many of his wild characteristics and always ran away from humans. In January 2011 Hamren entered the Elephant Rehabilitation Program and was moved to Manas National Park with Sikom, Soni, Tinku and Tikla. One night the calves managed to break out of their night stockade and four of them went missing. Despite an extensive search by the rangers Hamren was not found. He was later seen with a wild elephant herd who had accepted him completely. Hamren is now living again as a wild, free ranging elephant.
In Memoriam
Deepa
This female elephant calf was 3 months old when she was rescued from Rupajuli Tea Estate, Tezpur on 7th December 2004. She was supposed to have entered the Rehabilitation Program in 2007 but was detected with tuberculosis so stayed at the CWRC. Deepa became the mini matriarch of all the orphans and they looked to her for guidance and reassurance. She even guarded them at night when they slept. At 6 years of age Deepa was once again to enter the Rehabilitation Program in January 2011. However whilst under sedation for the move she suffered congestive heart failure. Deepa will be sadly missed by all the orphans, the staff at CWRC, her keepers, and by everyone who had come to know her.
Dihing
Dihing was found when he was only 6 months old near the Dihing River in the Tinsukia region, Eastern Assam. He was an extremely playful and mischievous little calf. Dihing liked to test the electric fencing with his toenails to see if there was a active current. If there was not he would test it with the sole of his foot and then stamp on the strands, breaking them, and wander out. He would often lead Junmoni and Tora out as well but none of them would wander to far. He was extremely close to both Junmoni and Tora who will undoubtedly miss him.
Dihing was just two years old when he fell ill and after battling for several days he succumbed on the 8th April 2012. A post-mortem showed severe hemorrhagic enteritis.
Adopt a Leopard
This young male leopard is 3 years old and has been at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation for most of his life. As he has been hand raised there are serious concerns about releasing him back to the wild so he will spend his life in captivity. There are currently 3 leopards at the CWRC and only one large enclosure. As leopards are solitary animals this situation is far from ideal.
Adopt this leopard for a year and you will not only be contributing to a new, larger carnivore enclosure but you will also be improving his quality of life.
Foster a Leopard for 1 year: $50
All images copyright of Sashanka WTI , Nafisa Naomi or Meli Souter
Please Note: Sponsorship is a symbolic gesture only. All donations received through sponsorship will be allocated towards the welfare and rehabilitation of all orphaned elephants currently residing at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation in Assam, India.
