Angul: An elephant calf that got trapped in a mud dy pond inside Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary was rescued by forest officials Thursday after a nearly 90-minute long oper ation. The incident occurred near Bargotha village under Tainsi panchayat in Pampasar forest range of the sanctuary in Angul district. According to forest officials, the calf had accompanied its mother to the pond to drink water. Although the pond contained little water, it was filled with deep mud, causing the calf to get stuck. The mother elephant managed to pull the calf out of the mud, but it was unable to climb the steep embankment and return to safety.
Hearing the elephants’ distress calls, local residents alerted the Forest Department. A team of forest personnel rushed to the spot and used an excavator to cut a section of the pond embankment, creating a gradual path for the calf to climb out. The rescue operation was successful, and the calf safely rejoined its mother. During the operation, the mother elephant reportedly charged at the excavator, apparently in an attempt to protect her calf. Satkosia Divisional Forest Officer Gadadhar Patra said the calf was rescued after about one-and-a-half hours of effort and later returned to the forest with its mother
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