Digboi: In a touching display of community compassion, forest officials and wildlife activists successfully rescued a two-month-old elephant calf and reunited it with its herd in the dense forests of Nazirating in Assam’s Digboi.
Residents of the Bogapani Tea Garden area, under the Digboi Forest Division in Tinsukia District near the perennial Dibru River, first spotted the young calf alone and distressed on the evening of September 15.
The calf had fallen into a deep plantation drain in Section 4 of McLeod Russel’s Bogapani Tea Estate and couldn’t return to its mother, crying for hours in the harsh terrain.
Locals quickly alerted the Digboi Forest Department and experts from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
Responding promptly, the rescue team retrieved the calf on September 16 at around 9:30 am and provided it with immediate care.
Although the team initially failed to reunite the calf with its mother, they did not give up.
Led by forester Nitesh Das of the Digboi Forest Division, and supported by Dr. Mehedi Hassan from WTI, along with members of the Wildlife Care Foundation and Green Buds Society, the team transported the calf in a rescue van to Nazirating Forest.
This forest lies within the Upper Dehing Reserve Forest’s East Block, under Digboi Forest Ranges.
On September 17, around 3 pm, the team successfully reunited the calf with its herd. Forester Das recounted the emotional moment:
“We brought the calf close to its mother’s location in the jungle and gave it a gentle push from about 15 meters away. Initially, we didn’t see the herd, but moments after stepping back, we heard a trumpet. The elephants rushed toward the calf. Though weak from the ordeal, the calf was fit and alert when it finally rejoined the herd.”
The scene deeply moved local residents. Many women working in the tea gardens reportedly burst into tears upon seeing the calf’s distress, and later, its joyful reunion with its family.
A local resident also shared, “Watching how much the community cared for the calf was overwhelming. It shows our deep connection with nature and wildlife.”
The rescue operation highlighted not only the dedication of the forest department and wildlife experts but also the critical role local communities play in conservation efforts.