Cash strapped, these forest officials already have two hungry mouths to feed: Infant rhino Laharani and baby elephant Rakhi. ``There are a few buffalo calves whom villagers are taking care of. And some deer too. But they are perhaps being raised for their meat,'' a senior official said.

Cut off from their natural habitat because of the 15-feet-deep flood waters, these young animals, if not killed for their meat, will be transferred from one home to another till they reach their final destination, either a zoocage or work as beasts of burden.

On July 22, Laharani, then 10-days-old, was found ``loitering'' near a forest camp by the same name. Rhino mothers, forest officials say, follow their infants wherever they go. ``So either her mother had died or left in desperation to survive,'' range officer Chakravarty said. ``She was absolutely red and even had the umbilical chord,'' he added.

Laharani was brought to the Kohora Range office and fed cow's milk. Peon Raju has toilet trained her and responds to her cry every hour or so with a bottle of milk. And she retires in the evenings to her corner behind metal drums in the range office's courtyard.

The Guwahati Zoo, about 150 kms away, has been told about Laharani. But range officials have taken a liking to her. ``We can't let her go. She is our `love piece'. Many started crying the last time when someone said that she should be taken to the zoo,'' Chakravarty said.

Two-months later, knee-high Laharani is now big and expensive as she requires about 12 litres ofmilk everyday, baby food and medicines. ``We cannot afford her. She costs us about Rs 5,000 a month. And there is no way she will survive in the forest now. The zoo accepts orphan animals and we will be sending her there,'' Bonal, director Kaziranga National Park, said. But officials at the range office are reluctant to let her go and say that they will hold on to her until they get an official note.

About 10 kms from Laharani's dark and wet bed, three-year-old Rakhi stands under the blazing sun, a thick rope around her neck and leg tying her to a tree. The four-feet-high elephant calf has been adopted by the Baguri Western Range.

A month before she was brought to the range office, forest officers had spotted the baby elephant and were keeping an eye on her. ``We were scared that she might be attacked by a tiger. And, in the hope that she will either find her family or be adopted by a herd we didn't touch her,'' Western Range officer Jiten Bora said.

But Rakhi is an investment for the department. Shewill be trained to respond to a mahout's commands and will be used to ferry ration and forest officers. But that will take another six or seven years.

``Till then we will look after her. She will not be sent to the zoo, neither can she be returned to the jungle. For, in the jungle, she won't survive. She could be attacked by a tiger and no herd will accept her,'' says Bora.