In an operation in the small hours of Thursday, Forest Department rescued an elephant calf after it fell into a sump near Thadagam in Coimbatore. The male calf, aged around one month, taken to forest where it united with its herd.
Officials said that a herd of five elephants including two calves had entered human habitations near Subramanyaswamy temple at Anuvavi around 4.30 a.m. The one-month-old calf strayed from the herd and fell into a sump.
Alerted by residents in the locality, Forest Department staff including officials, Anti Poaching Watchers (APW) and Rapid Response Team (RRT) members rushed to the spot.
However, the mother elephant stood near the sump attempting in vein to rescue the calf. The rescue works started after the mother elephant was chased to a safe distance by APWs and RRTs. Later, the sump was levelled using an earthmover, creating way for the calf to climb up. Officials said that the calf was united with its mother in the forest around 6 a.m.
District Forest Officer N. Satheesh said that the calf did not sustain injuries in the fall as the sump had good level of water.
Following the incident, a team of APWs were posted in the area to monitor the herd and prevent it from entering human habitations. Residents in the locality alleged that elephant movement was frequent as they came out of forest in search of water and fodder.
Officials said that troughs constructed by the Department in forest and fringe areas were being replenished with water frequently to avoid wild animals, especially elephant, crossing forest boundaries to quench thirst.
