Elephant calf rescued near Kaziranga in Assam

A four-to-six-week-old elephant calf trapped in a muddy trench at a tea estate near Kaziranga National Park has been rescued and shifted to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation. The dehydrated calf is receiving specialised treatment and round-the-clock care

Guwahati: An elephant calf, trapped in a muddy trench at a tea garden near Kaziranga National Park, has been rescued and is currently undergoing treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), Assam Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah said on Friday.

A four-to six-week-old calf was trapped in the trench on Wednesday at Seconee Tea Estate, and the herd to which it belonged tried to pull the animal out, but they failed, the minister said.

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”After the herd was unable to pull the exhausted calf out, alert tea garden workers and villagers quickly informed the wildlife authorities, enabling a coordinated rescue operation,” Baruah said in a post on X.

A team from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, led by wildlife veterinarian Bhaskar Choudhury, reached the site and safely lifted the calf from the trench on Thursday.

The severely dehydrated and exhausted animal was immediately taken to the nearest beat office, where veterinary personnel provided emergency treatment and fluids, he said.

”Our first priority was to give the calf every possible opportunity to return to its natural family. Wildlife experts and forest authorities monitored the situation through the day and waited for the herd to return so that reunification could take place,” Baruah said.

When the herd did not return, the calf was shifted to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation for specialised rehabilitation and round-the-clock care.

“It has now joined other rescued elephants receiving treatment and rehabilitation at the centre,” he said.

The minister said this rescue also highlights the vital role local communities played.

The quick response of tea garden workers and villagers, followed by the intervention of forest authorities and wildlife specialists, ensured that the distressed calf received timely assistance, he said.

“For us, wildlife conservation means protecting every animal in need and giving it the best possible chance of survival.

“Reunion with the wild herd will always remain our first priority, when that is not possible, Assam’s conservation network stands ready to provide care, rehabilitation and a second chance at life,” he said.

Every rescue strengthens the larger mission of protecting Assam’s wildlife and building a future where communities and nature continue to thrive together, the minister added.

A large tyre stuck around an elephant’s neck in the neighbouring Bokolia forest range of Golaghat district was removed by a team of forest personnel on Thursday night, and the area has witnessed recurring incidents of human-animal conflict.