Baby elephant rescued near Indonesian palm oil plantation

A baby elephant found terrified and malnourished near a palm oil plantation is being nursed back to health at a conservation centre on Indonesia’s Sumatra island.

Last week, animal experts in Aceh province received a tip-off about a dead elephant without its tusks.

When the team arrived they found the dead animal, along with the abandoned 11-month-old calf. 

“We suspect the adult elephant was shot. He was probably with a group, so the others fled but the baby got left behind,” Aceh conservation centre head Sapto Aji Prabowo told AFP. 

“The baby was malnourished, so that’s why we took him to the elephant conservation centre.” 

The youngster weighs around 300 kilograms (660 pounds), just over half the typical weight of an animal of his age.

Rangers transported the hungry creature to the conservation center where it is being looked after by specialists.

“It was in a bad condition, depressed, limp. It was obvious from his gestures that was afraid of us. Now it’s getting better,” said veterinarian Rosa Rika Wahyuni.