Stray calf caught in selfie crowd

POSE WITH JUMBO: A boy clicks a selfie with the elephant calf

TT, Jalpaiguri: People thronged the fringes of Khairkata forest and crossed a stream on Sunday to click pictures with an elephant calf that was believed to have strayed out of a herd.

The village under Nagrakata block is located around 55km from here and is close to the Diana forest.

Local people said an elephant herd had entered the locality on Saturday night and returned to the forest on Sunday morning. "The calf might be a member of the herd. This morning, we heard the calf's screams and found it standing close to the Khailadoba stream," said villager Miraz Ansari.

Bishnu Chhetri, another villager, said: "The calf had wounds on the legs and blood all over the body. It appeared to have suffered injuries and could not move properly. The animal was also hungry and we arranged fodder for it."

As more people came to know about the calf, they walked up to the stream's bank and some even waded through water. Standing in the river, youths clicked selfies and took photos of the elephant.

The crowd's enthusiasm agitated the calf that sought to scare them away, though it had wounds on the legs. As the day rolled, people from adjoining areas started pouring in and clicked the animal's pictures.

"It was like a dream coming true. Clicking a selfie with a wild elephant calf is a rare opportunity. It was an enjoyable moment," said Rupesh Saha, who came to the village from Nagrakata.

In the afternoon, foresters from Khairkata beat of Gorumara National Park reached the spot. They kept the crowd at a safe distance. Later, the foresters applied medicines on the injury marks of the calf.

"We are waiting for the herd to return and take the calf to the jungle. We are keeping a watch on the animal. There are some injuries to the animal's legs but we need to tranquillise it for treatment," said a forester.