Maya the elephant calf: Kerala rescue story that’s melting hearts online

2 min readNew DelhiJun 24, 2026 06:38 PM IST

Maya was found abandoned by her herd when she was just a day old and was later taken in by the Kerala Forest Department.

A heartwarming rescue story from Kerala has captured attention online after Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh shared a video of an elephant calf named Maya, whose survival has been described as extraordinary.

Maya was found abandoned by her herd when she was just a day old and was later taken in by the Kerala Forest Department. She was brought to the Abhayaranyam Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, where forest officials and veterinarians worked around the clock to keep her alive.

Sharing her story on X, Singh recalled the challenges Maya faced during her recovery. “She battled incredible odds and took 40 days to stand on her own feet despite the dedicated efforts of forest officials and veterinarians,” he wrote.

“I named her Maya because her survival is truly miraculous – a testament to resilience, care, and compassion,” he said.

Watch the video:

Meet Maya 🐘❤️

Just one day old when she was abandoned by her herd, this little elephant calf’s journey is nothing short of a miracle. Rescued by the Kerala Forest Department and brought to the Abhayaranyam Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at Kaprikkad, she battled incredible odds… pic.twitter.com/DDlxZNStYk

— Kirti Vardhan Singh (@KVSinghMPGonda) June 23, 2026

‘Why was she abandoned?’

The viral video shows Singh feeding bananas to the young elephant and meeting the teams involved in her rehabilitation during a visit to the centre.

“Spending time with Maya, feeding her, and interacting with the teams working tirelessly for her recovery was a deeply moving experience,” he said.

“Every life saved is a victory for conservation.”

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The clip drew numerous reactions online, with many users curious about why the calf had been left behind.

“Why was she abandoned? Elephants are considered very family oriented,” one person asked.

Another wrote, “Maya ne doosra jeevan paaya” (Maya got a second chance at life).

A third user commented, “Any guess on reason for abandoning, sir.”