4-day-old elephant calf rescued after being swept away in Bengal river: Here’s the video

Fishermen and forest department officials in West Bengal raced against time to rescue a four-day-old baby elephant who was swept away nearly four kilometres downstream in the Teesta river.

The incident took place on Friday in the Baikanthapur forest division in Malbazar block of Jalpaiguri district in Bengal’s northern region.

According to forest department sources, an elephant herd was trying to cross the Teesta river at around 8.30 am on Friday. But a calf got separated from its mother and washed away four kilometres near the Teesta barrage.

“A three-or-four-day-old elephant calf was separated from its mother near Gajaldoba barrage. We are not sure but they might have been trying to cross the river. While the mother was upstream in Gajaldoba, the calf was washed away four kilometres downstream,” said Mudit Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Baikanthapur, while speaking with The Indian Express over phone

The calf was later spotted by local fishermen. According to forest department sources, the fishermen took a small row boat and raced against time to rescue the calf. Finally, they were able to catch up with the calf which was drowning. They rescued it on the small row boat.

“We were informed by local fishermen that they spotted an elephant. We rushed to the spot. We rescued the calf,” said Kumar.

According to forest department sources, the fishermen took a small row boat and raced against time to rescue the calf. Finally, they were able to catch up with the calf which was drowning. (Express photo)

“We brought the calf back and a vet checked it… Thankfully, it had no injuries. We had to do it fast because we feared prolonged human touch may lead the calf to be rejected by the mother. Finally, we reunited the mother and calf. She nursed the calf and accepted the calf back into the herd. We are happy that the calf was rescued and reunited with the mother,” Kumar added.

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The Baithankapur forest division is situated near Siliguri and Gazaldoba, bounded by the Mahananda river and the Teesta river. It is known for a significant population of Asian elephants, leopards, and diverse bird species.

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

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