COIMBATORE: A calf elephant that fell into an uncovered water tank in Valparai was rescued after a ten-hour-long rescue operation by the forest department on Friday.
The four-year-old tusker, which was part of a four-member herd retreating to Kerala forests from Valparai, had strayed near human settlements in the sprawling tea estates in search of food and water.
In the early morning hours, the elephant herd approached a 12-foot deep ground-level water tank near a residential area in the Villoni Estate to consume water. When the calf jumbo attempted to consume water, it slipped and fell into the tank.
Eventually, the adult elephants, including its mother, trumpeted in grief after their attempts to rescue the calf went in vain.
When some estate workers approached to empty the tank by opening its outlet, the mother elephant charged at them.
One of the workers was injured in a fall while fleeing.
Meanwhile, a team from the forest department, led by Valparai Forest Range Officer Suresh Krishna and Manambolly Forest Range Officer K Giridharan, arrived and took efforts to rescue the trapped calf.
However, they faced fierce resistance from the mother elephant, seemingly to protect its calf. It also attacked an excavator deployed to break the tank and help the jumbo to make its way out.
After several hours of concerted effort by the forest department, the calf finally climbed out of the tank in the evening and reunited with its mother and herd. They then retreated into the forest area, giving a sigh of relief for the staff involved in the daunting operation.