Dhenkanal: Forest officials Monday morning rescued an elephant calf believed to be one-and-a-half-month old elephant calf from a drain at Gunudei village under Gadasila section of Dhenkanal sadar range.
Two jumbos including the mother elephant were seen standing still a few feet away from the spot allowing the forest officials to rescue her baby calf.
According to a source, a herd of 21 elephants was crossing Gunudei village Monday morning. There is an open drain at one side of the village road. All the elephants could leap over the drain barring the calf that could not and fell into the drain.
While two elephants stayed back, all the other animals went into the forest. The two elephants tried their best to get the calf out of the drain, but they failed in their attempt.
By this time, the news spread like wildfire and hundreds of people gathered keeping a safe distance from the spot. Seeing the elephants not being able to rescue the calf, some local people informed the forest department.
Later, forest department officials reached the spot. It was when they moved towards the spot, the elephants went back a few steps and stood silently there observing what the forest department employees were doing to the calf.
After a two-hour-long rescue operation, the forest department staff succeeded in rescuing the calf by putting some sandbags into the drain. After coming out of the drain, the calf ran towards its mother and then they went into the nearby jungle. The calf is healthy and has suffered no injuries in the process of rescue, it was learnt.
