Tiny elephant swept away in floodwaters: Fishermen rescue calf and return it to mother | VIDEO

Kolkata: A four-day-old elephant calf was swept nearly four kilometres downstream in the Teesta river in West Bengal after becoming separated from its mother. Local fishermen spotted the drowning calf and, with forest officials, rescued it before successfully reuniting it with its mother.

The dramatic rescue took place on Friday in the Baikunthapur forest division in Malbazar block of Jalpaiguri district. An elephant herd was reportedly attempting to cross the Teesta river at around 8.30 am when the four-day-old calf became separated from its mother and was carried away by the strong current.

According to Baikunthapur Divisional Forest Officer Mudit Kumar, the calf was later found nearly four kilometres downstream near the Teesta barrage. The mother elephant remained upstream near Gajaldoba.

Local fishermen noticed the tiny elephant struggling in the river and immediately alerted the forest department. They used a small rowing boat to reach the calf as it was being carried by the current.

Forest officials then rescued the exhausted animal and brought it to safety. A veterinary examination found that the calf had no injuries.

The most important part came after the rescue

Rescuers had to act quickly because prolonged human contact could have affected the calf's acceptance by its mother. After the rescue, forest officials returned the calf to its herd.

The mother accepted the calf and nursed it, allowing the newborn to reunite safely with the herd.

The Baikunthapur forest division lies near Siliguri and Gajoldoba and is home to a significant population of Asian elephants, along with leopards and several bird species. The incident also highlights the risks elephants can face while crossing rivers in the region, particularly when strong currents separate young calves from their herds.

The rescue was made possible through the quick response of local fishermen and forest officials. What began with a newborn elephant being swept away by the Teesta ended with the calf safely back beside its mother.