Officials, villagers rescue jumbo calf trapped in Arunachal pit for 2 days

Time of India

13 hours ago

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Dibrugarh: Forest officials and villagers collaborated on Saturday evening in a rescue operation to save a wild elephant calf that had been trapped in a muddy pit for nearly two days in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district.
The elephant calf had fallen into what is believed to be an old well in the Deomali area and was unable to get out on its own.
The animal's distress was discovered by locals, who immediately alerted the forest department. Upon receiving the information, a team of forest personnel, led by range forest officer (RFO) Diwang Lowang and supervised by divisional forest officer (DFO) Deomali, rushed to the scene. The rescue team included foresters Kaling Libang, Leamkai Wangpan, Leki Ingo, forest guard OP Singh and other department staff.
The rescue operation which lasted for nearly two hours saw active participation from local villagers, who worked alongside forest officials. The rescue team dug around the pit and created sloped sides using spades and shovels to provide the elephant an escape route. Bamboo poles and logs were strategically placed to give the frightened calf additional support and traction as it attempted to climb out. The combined efforts ensured the calf was safely pulled out without injuries.
"The pit was deep and muddy, making it difficult for the calf to climb out on its own. We had to act quickly because the elephant was exhausted and stressed after being stuck for so lon," RFO Lowang said.
In recognition of their role, Lowang awarded the villagers a cash reward of Rs 10,000 as a token of appreciation.