A baby elephant named Bani, meaning “Mother Earth,” faced a tragic accident in mid-December when she was struck by a fast-moving train near Corbett National Park in northern India.
The collision left the 9-month-old calf severely injured and paralyzed. Sadly, Bani’s mother, who was also pregnant, did not survive the accident. For over a month, wildlife authorities worked tirelessly to treat Bani’s hip and spine injuries at a local facility, but her condition showed little improvement.
In early February, Bani was transferred to the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, home to India’s first veterinary hospital dedicated to elephants. Despite their best efforts, the veterinarians at the center struggled to pinpoint the exact location of Bani’s fractures. “We took several X-rays, but pinpointing the fractures was still challenging,” explained Dr. A. Sha Arun, a senior veterinarian at Wildlife SOS. He highlighted that the hip area, in particular, was difficult to examine due to its large size.
The veterinary team also reported that Bani had several wounds on her back and hindquarters, which were slow to heal. Elephants are known for their exceptional emotional intelligence, and experts believe that the trauma from losing her mother in the accident may have impacted Bani’s psychological health, potentially hindering her physical recovery.
However, there is still hope. Bani has started to show signs of improvement, becoming more playful with her caregivers, holding their hands with her trunk, eating well, and responding positively to treatment.
The accident that injured Bani is part of a larger issue in India, where the expanding railway network has been devastating to wildlife. Conservationists believe that train tracks should not intersect wildlife corridors. In response to these ongoing tragedies, Tamil Nadu in southern India has recently become the first state to implement a monitoring system using AI and machine learning to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks.
