- From abandonment to a battle for survival: Kerala’s forest personnel hand-raised the 18-month-old calf after she was found alone, weak and deprived of her mother’s first milk.
- A desperate medical challenge: Fractures in both front legs, brittle bones, a chest infection and pressure sores left the young elephant unable to stand.
- Interstate conservation collaboration: Anant Ambani’s Vantara airlifts Maya to its specialised elephant hospital in Jamnagar following Kerala’s wildlife authorities’ approval.
- A promise beyond treatment: A dedicated veterinary team will provide round-the-clock care, with Kerala retaining responsibility and arrangements for Maya’s return after treatment.
NE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BUREAU
JAMNAGAR, NOV 7
She was abandoned at birth, survived against the odds through the painstaking care of forest personnel and fought her way through 18 months of life. Now, unable to stand and suffering fractures in both front legs, little Maya has embarked on an extraordinary journey from Kerala to Jamnagar aboard a specially mobilised medical airlift. The mission, initiated by Anant Ambani, Founder of Vantara, represents a crucial intervention to give the ailing elephant calf a fighting chance at recovery.
Following a transfer order issued by Kerala Chief Wildlife Warden P. Pugazhendi, Vantara mobilised its specialised veterinary team and airlifted Maya to its intensive hospitalisation facility in Jamnagar on November 6, 2026.
Maya’s struggle began on April 19, 2025, when she was discovered alone near Kaprikkad in the Malayattoor Division. The newborn was weak, dehydrated and had not received her mother’s first milk. She was so frail that she could not even suckle.
Recognising that the calf needed constant attention, Assistant Forest Veterinary Officer Dr. Binoy C. Babu and a dedicated team of Kerala forest caregivers took on the demanding responsibility of nursing her back to health. Feeding and caring for her round the clock, they became her surrogate family and named her Maya.
However, her fight for survival took a distressing turn in July 2026 when she slipped while playing and injured her shoulder. Despite physiotherapy, splints and nutritional supplements, her bones continued to weaken. By late October, her condition had deteriorated alarmingly. She could no longer stand and had sustained fractures in both front legs. A chest infection and pressure sores further complicated her condition, making her prognosis grave.
A race against time, a search for answers
Unwilling to abandon hope, Kerala’s Chief Wildlife Warden sought wider expert medical opinion to explore every possible treatment option.
Padma Shri awardee Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma, eminent elephant veterinarian and Veterinary Advisor to Vantara, identified a possible parathyroid-related disorder that could respond to specialised treatment. Dr. Yaduraj Khadpekar, Head Veterinarian at Vantara’s Elephant Care Centre, concurred with the assessment. Following deliberations, the Medical Board unanimously agreed that Maya deserved every possible opportunity for treatment and recovery.
The resulting airlift was a carefully coordinated medical operation rather than a routine animal transfer. Three elephant veterinarians from Vantara, along with paravets and caregivers, accompanied Maya. Dr. Binoy C. Babu and her familiar caregiver, Nikhil Babu, also travelled with her to provide continuity, reassurance and the personal attention she has known since infancy.
At Vantara, Maya is expected to receive round-the-clock veterinary monitoring, pain management, advanced diagnostic investigations, hydraulic lifting support and hydrotherapy, wherever medically appropriate. The immediate priority will be to stabilise her condition, investigate the underlying cause of her fragile bones and determine the most suitable course of treatment.
Importantly, Kerala will retain responsibility for Maya’s care, while Vantara will facilitate her return to Abhayaranyam once the treatment programme is completed.
Every life matters
“Maya has fought for every single day of her life. Now it is our turn to fight for her. Our team will not leave her side, not for a moment. Today, we ask everyone to hold this little one in their prayers. Every life matters, and Maya’s matters to all of us,” said Vivaan Karani, CEO, Vantara.
Maya’s prognosis remains uncertain, and the road to recovery could be long and challenging. Yet, her journey underscores the importance of timely veterinary intervention, specialised wildlife healthcare and collaboration between forest departments and conservation institutions.
For the forest personnel who painstakingly nurtured her from the day she was found, Maya is far more than an abandoned elephant calf. She is a life they have fought to protect.
Now, as she receives specialised care in Jamnagar, the hope is that this little fighter will once again find the strength to stand on her feet.
Because the true measure of wildlife conservation is not merely protecting the strong, but refusing to give up on the most vulnerable.