The Okomu National Park in Edo, on Monday, said that a baby elephant, which was rescued from an oil palm plantation on November 30, was undergoing rehabilitation.

Conservator of the park, Mr Osaze Lawrence, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the park in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo.

NAN reports that the Okomu National Park, in collaboration with the Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation, had rescued the male calf, about two months old, while it was wandering alone inside the Okomu Oil Palm Company plantation.

The conservator said that workers had quickly stabilised the animal and alerted park authorities.

“It was a very young elephant less than two months old; they gave it water, tried to revive it and immediately called us,” he told NAN.

He said that rangers and African Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation personnel had retrieved the calf and attempted to reunite it with its herd inside the elephant home range, but it still roamed.

“It walked some metres into the wild on its own, and we thought it had returned to the family.

“But a commercial motorcyclist later reported seeing the disoriented calf alone by the roadside.

“At that point, it became clear it could not find its herd; the best option was for us to rescue, rehabilitate and stabilise it,” he said.

He noted that the calf, which had slipped into a health crisis, was under 24-hour veterinary care at an ANI camp within the park.

“We are feeding it with the recommended milk, giving medication and monitoring its strength; it is stabilising and doing very well,” he added

He praised the synergy among national authorities, ANI, Okomu Oil Palm Company, veterinarians, as well as the international experts.

NAN reports that the rescue had drawn international attention, including that of a UK-born wildlife rescue specialist Liz O’Brien, who had flown in from Zambia, to join the efforts.

O’Brien who had gathered about15 years of experience rescuing elephants across Africa, described the case as historic.

“In Nigeria, they have never rescued an elephant like this before; this is the first of its kind,” she said.