Fishermen pull elephant calf from Teesta river, reunite it with mother
A four-day-old elephant calf washed nearly four kilometres down the Teesta river on Friday morning after getting separated from its mother near the Gajaldoba barrage in West Bengal. The herd had been crossing the river around 8.30 am when the calf was swept downstream while its mother stayed upstream. Local fishermen spotted the calf struggling in the water, took out a small rowboat and pulled it aboard. Forest officials rushed to the site in Baikanthapur forest division, in Jalpaiguri district's Malbazar block. A vet examined the calf and found no injuries. Officials reunited the two, and Kumar said, "She nursed the calf and accepted the calf back into the herd."
Acting fast kept the calf's contact with people brief enough that its mother still accepted it back, which is often the deciding factor in whether a separated newborn survives.
Source: 4-day-old elephant calf rescued after being swept away in Bengal river: Here’s the video (indianexpress.com).
Written by the HappyGood desk from the primary source linked above and checked against it. Every story links its source. Corrections: [email protected].
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