The river took a baby elephant. Five fishermen brought it back.
A days-old elephant calf drifted roughly four kilometers down the Teesta. Five fishermen reached it by boat; forest officials reunited it with its mother.
A days-old elephant calf was swept downstream during a herd crossing of the Teesta River near Gajoldoba in West Bengal. Local fishermen spotted the calf, navigated the current by boat and got it ashore; forest officials then worked to reunite it with its mother.
WHAT HAPPENED
During a herd crossing near the Gajoldoba barrage, a four-day-old elephant calf became separated and was carried about four kilometers downstream. Five fishermen from the area went after it by boat, brought it to safety and turned it over to the Forest Department. Divisional Forest Officer Mudit Kumar confirmed the rescue; subsequent local reporting said the calf was reunited with its mother and returned to the forest with the herd.
WHY THIS IS HOPESLOP
Nothing about a baby elephant being swept down a swollen river is good news. The Hopeslop is the response: five people in a boat saw a wild animal disappearing downstream and decided the river was not getting the final word — then forest staff finished the job by getting the calf back to its mother.
ORIGINAL SOURCEThe Indian Express / West Bengal Forest DepartmentRead the original report
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