
Elephant “Mridula” welcomes new calf as Manas celebrates rare wildlife births
A captive elephant named Mridula gave birth to a healthy male calf at Manas National Park in Baksa, Assam, alongside the historic birth of a greater one-horned rhinoceros calf in the park's Bansbari range. The forest department monitored the elephant birth, while the rhinoceros calf extended the family of a flood-rescued rhino named Ganga into a three-generation wild lineage. Head Mahout Dandeshwar Boro stated, "The birth has brought immense joy among the staff and mahouts working in the park." The arrivals occurred as the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site began its peak tourism season. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma noted that the three-generation lineage shows the success of conservation efforts for animals rescued from the 2004 Brahmaputra floods and rehabilitated by the Wildlife Trust of India-IFAW Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation. Forest and Climate Change Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah stated that the births demonstrate the importance of sustained care and a secure ecosystem following past habitat degradation.






