Guwahati: Forest staff from Kamrup West Division and residents of Kotrabari village near Pantan reserve forest in Assam's Kamrup district, collaborated to save an elephant calf that had fallen into a pit on Tuesday night.
The rescue, spanning two tense hours, involved meticulous manoeuvring of excavators while maintaining a calm demeanour to minimize further distress to the mother elephant, forest officials said.
Alerted by the distressed calls of the calf's mother, forest officials arrived at the scene to find the young elephant, barely exceeding human height, trapped in the pit, said an official.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, they formulated a plan in conjunction with the villagers, who possess a deep understanding of the local ecosystem.
An excavator, carefully operated to minimize disturbance, was used to create a gradual incline on the side of the ditch, he said.
The calf later had a happy reunion with the herd, said the forest official.
