In a disturbing incident in central India’s Chhattisgarh, an elephant calf was severely injured, reportedly by a country-made bomb explosion.

The incident took place in the Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve (USTR) in Gariaband district on November 10.

Visuals showed the young elephant in the forest, showing it struggling with painful wounds to its jaw and leg, attempting to soothe its injuries by pouring water on them with its trunk.

According to reports, Varun Jain, Deputy Director of USTR, stated that the calf is part of a herd of 38-40 elephants moving through the Satlor area of the Sitanadi forest range. Blood stains were discovered by forest officials on November 7 in an area frequented by the herd. Upon investigation, fragments of a potash bomb were found at the scene.

Following the discovery, an anti-poaching team and dog squad were deployed to locate the injured animal. On Sunday, forest personnel used a drone to track down the calf, estimated to be 5-6 years old, with swollen wounds on its jaw and leg. Initial investigations suggest that the calf sustained injuries while attempting to eat the potash bomb, which then exploded.

Officials have yet to determine if the bomb was intended for elephants or wild boars. Starting Monday, veterinarians plan to initiate treatment, beginning with medicine-laced food. If necessary, the calf will be tranquilized and shifted to a care camp for recovery. The forest department has also offered a Rs 10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible, and a complaint has been filed at the local police station.