Gajoldoba, 21st September: Fishermen rescued an elephant calf from the Teesta River in Gajoldoba and handed it over to the Forest Department. The calf was later reunited with its mother and returned to the forest.
The elephant calf was reportedly drifting in the Teesta River near the Teesta Barrage area in Gajoldoba when members of the North Bengal Fishermen’s Forum spotted it. They entered the river by boat from the Kranti-Punjab Dam area near the Teesta Barrage and travelled nearly 4 kilometres to reach the calf.
The fishermen brought the calf onto the boat and safely took it to the riverbank. According to the rescuers, the calf was found in healthy condition and was later handed over to forest officials of the Kathambari Range.
North Bengal Fishermen’s Forum members Mithu Das, Rajesh Das, Biswanath Das, Gopal Das and Bablu Das were involved in the rescue operation. The five fishermen took the risk of navigating the river current to rescue the calf.
A short while later, the mother elephant arrived at the riverbank in search of the calf. The elephant calf subsequently returned to the forest with its mother and is currently under the supervision of the Forest Department.
