Trapped elephant reunited with its calf after 2-day rescue op

Sakleshpur:  After rescue operation that lasted two days an elephant that had accidentally fallen into a slush pit at a coffee estate was reunited with its calf here at Kadagaravalli village in Hassan district on Tuesday, November 27.

It was heart-wrenching for the calf see its mother struggling to come out of the pit for three days and it was holding on to her with its trunk.

Earthmovers and tamed elephants were roped in to aid the rescue operations to remove the tusker from the narrow pit on the third day of the operation after all other efforts failed to yield results. Moreover the restless calf was causing hindrance to the rescue operations by pushing off the officials with its trunk and hence had to be tied. 

The rescue operation personnel had to forcefully tie the calf elephant as it was pushing the officials with as it felt that they were harming its mother.

Though the forest department personnel fed plantains and leaves to the elephant as food at regular intervals the elephant had grown weak and had also injured her left forelimb.

Finally, on Tuesday, Harsha and Vikram two tamed elephants of Dubare camp were brought to aid the rescue operation. A huge excavator was brought again. The elephant was tied securely with belts and lifted out, informed sources.

Veterinarian Dr Nagaraj from Mysuru Zoo, ACFs Lingaraju, Mohan and Pruthvi were present.