As new flora paints refreshing colours for spring, we are delighted to see Bani bouncing into the second year of love and care at the Elephant Hospital Campus (EHC)! Her playful spirit is unending, in fact it is ever-growing! Young and active Bani celebrates her second rescue anniversary with her dearest caregivers, who came together to prepare a juicy buffet for her. They carved out her favourite fruits in the shape of flowers, marking the biggest celebration of springtime!
It has been two years since Bani met with a terrible train accident in Uttarakhand. Panic and chaos that followed a horrific collision drove her herd away. Baby Bani, only around nine months old at the time, faced critical injuries to her spine, hips, and hind legs. The forest department reached out to Wildlife SOS, and as soon as our team reached the location, they were met with a heart-breaking sight: an elephant calf unable to stand as she was suffering from partial paralysis.
Bani became the first infant elephant that came under Wildlife SOS’s sensitive care. The young elephant, herself at a critical stage of learning, has taught us endless lessons of encouragement and motivation to give her the best of everything we could. And we did! Various forms of therapies, treatments and consultations with global experts played a mighty role in helping Bani stand on her own four feet once again.
For months together, Bani was given support to stand, and a row of mini mounds of mud beds to walk, lean and rest against. The nursing care given to her with greatest affection helped the infant gain trust and security in her surroundings and her caregivers. All elephants under our care have suitable enrichments to engage with, which made our team think of how Bani’s day could be made as interesting and playful. So, for this bright ray of sunshine, caregivers made miniature versions of them all, and hung them at a height at which her tiny trunk could reach!
Now, we have a mini prodigy exploring enrichments. Sugarcane pieces from her rolling cage enrichment have won her heart, and she digs into her tyre feeder to devour fresh seasonal fodder. For Bani, caregivers keep introducing new enrichments so that she remains engaged deciphering how to reach her beloved treats. The tyre feeder is given a special treatment by her: she confidently steps on it right after eating every last hidden treat to show how she has managed to conquer it! Bani has also shown how she has to tackle one enrichment at a time. She first eats her treats from one before going to the next.
In the last two years, Bani’s come a long way in regaining strength in her back legs. Bani undergoes regular electro-acupuncture and laser therapy to support her mobility and overall comfort. And she was also presented with a special pair of boots! These boots have been designed to support her back feet that she had been dragging in order to walk. At first, Bani would treat them no less than a toy — just after the caregiver would tie them on her little feet, she would shake them off in a way that they would go flying across her field! Success of finally wearing them would usually happen in the third attempt. Dragging of feet was also leading to thinning of nails and her sole, which the boots are largely preventing. A keratinising spray is supporting the healthy growth of her nails. Bani’s walk has improved significantly, thanks to the meticulous efforts of our veterinarians and caregivers. With young age on her side, her determination to keep moving is supported by the unending liveliness in her!
When it comes to target training. Bani has taken many steps forward. The team is now completely focusing on helping Bani build her hip strength, which will in turn help her to walk better. Keeping this in mind, a new routine has been added to her sessions. A small 2 to 3 inch mud step has been made in her enclosure, and she is being encouraged to step up and then down as a form of physiotherapy.
However, just like the boot-kicking episodes, Bani has treated this routine as a new game! When familiar people from the centre approach her, she loves to show off her skill of stepping up on the mound. This is also because she expects to be immediately rewarded with treats that are presented as positive reinforcements. The clever elephant also raises her trunk for regular examinations, even before the cue is given!
Each jolly trait Bani displays is a reflection of trust and comfort she has around the compassionate staff. There is always a twinkle in her eye whether she is sneaking food out of her caregiver’s satchel or playing with the enrichments around her.
The team has dedicated their time and care towards her well-being. They are well aware of how she can pull off tricks and her adorable antics would leave them startled and amused at the same time! Bani has definitely come to be a source of great cheer among the entire Wildlife SOS family.
Would you like to participate in bringing up bubbly Bani? You can do so by becoming a monthly supporter and receive regular updates on how she goes about her fun-filled days at the elephant hospital.
Please sign our petition to prevent wild elephants from unfortunate accidents caused by speeding trains. Such train collisions are preventable through early warning systems that spread location awareness amongst citizens. Elephants are crucial for our forests, and protecting these gentle giants is a responsibility we all share.
Feature Image: Mradul Pathak/Wildlife SOS
