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Riau elephant calf Puan dies from complications on Valentine's Day
Editor's note: Some readers might find the accompanying photograph disturbing. Riau conservation authorities said that the 3-year-old calf, who had been receiving treatment for severe foot injuries since December, died on Friday morning.
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An elephant named Suci gave birth in Alue Kuyun Conservation Response Unit (CRU), Western Aceh regency at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 (Instagram/bksdaaceh/File)
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fter two months of treatment for injuries caused by a poacher’s snare, 3-year-old elephant calf Puan Pandan Wangi died on Friday morning at the Minas Elephant Training Center in Siak regency, Riau.
Spokesperson Dian Indriati of the Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Riau) said that officials at Tesso Nilo National Park in Pelalawan regency had rescued the calf in December after they found her with severe foot injuries from a trap.
Puan's condition had initially improved, but started declining mid-month.
“She refused to drink the milk," said Dian. The veterinary team resumed treatment on Thursday, giving her intravenous fluids and vitamins to [try and] improve her condition.”
However, the 101-kilogram calf continued to refuse to feed and died at 6 a.m. on Friday, she said.
The veterinary team immediately performed a necropsy to determine the cause of the elephant’s death.
“She had developed a digestive disorder, so her nutrient absorption was disrupted. This could be seen in changes in her internal organs,” Dian said.
Read also: Wild female elephant found dead in Riau
Puan was part of a herd of wild elephants that live in Tesso Nilo National Park. Her foot became trapped in a snare as her herd was passing through an industrial forest in Pandan Wangi village of Peranap district, Indragiri Hulu regency. The forest concession is managed by PT Rimba Peranap Indah.
The young calf struggled to free herself from the trap, nearly severing her foot in the process, and she was eventually abandoned by her herd.
Upon receiving a report from the public on Dec. 16, 2019, officials from Riau BKSDA located Puan, freed her from the trap and transported her to the Minas elephant center for treatment. (hol)
