Elephant calf rescued - 2-month-old jumbo fished out of tank, sent to Jaldapara

The rescued calf in Jaldapara. Picture by Anirban Choudhury

TT, Alipurduar, Oct. 15: A two-month-old female elephant calf that fell into a water reservoir in a Buxa tea garden last night was rescued by foresters and SSB jawans in an hour-long operation.

The animal was sent to Jaldapara yesterday afternoon where it would be reared.

Forest sources said yesterday around 7am, residents of Rahimabad Tea Estate spotted the calf in a reservoir in the garden.

The estate, 40km from Alipurduar, is in Buxa Tiger Reserve (east).

The management, foresters of the nearby Hatipota range and SSB jawans of Hatipota camp were informed.

The rescue operation that began around 8.30am lasted for almost an hour and the calf was pulled up using a rope.

Foresters suspect the young animal was part of a herd that crossed the area at night and the calf accidentally fell in the reservoir that stores rain water for irrigation during the dry season .

The foresters said footprints around the reservoir suggested that other elephants had tried to rescue the calf.

Bhaskar J.V, the deputy field director, Buxa Tiger Reserve (east), said: “After rescuing the calf, we tried to find the mother but it seems the herd abandoned the young animal. We have sent the calf to Jaldapara National Park which has lactating elephants. The calf is doing well and has taken milk from an elephant there. The rescued calf is around two-months-old.”

The young animal has been taken to Malongi pilkhana in Jaldapara (east), 90km from Buxa.

Foresters said a kunki called Amrapali, who has a female calf, fed the rescued animal.