Forest staff, locals rescue elephant calf from waste pit in Kerala

The forest officials rescued elephant calf after more than five hours of effort in Ernakulam of Kerala. The rescue operation was led by Deputy Range Officer J Jayan.

Ernakulam: An elephant calf that got trapped, in a waste dumping pit at Chakkimedu Vadattupara in Kuttambuzha Panchayat here in Kerala, was rescued after more than five hours of efforts on Tuesday.

Forest officials used an earthmover to level the banks of the pit in order to rescue the calf. The calf refused to go back into the forest and remained near the pitch. The efforts are still on to guide the calf back into the forest to join with its herd.

Wild elephant menace is rampant in Chakkimedu area. The calf is reportedly part of the 15 member elephant herd which had reached the inhabited areas in Chakkimedu on Monday.

The calf might have lost its way, slipped and fallen into the pit on Monday night.

The other adult elephants stood guard to the calf near the pit until Tuesday morning and later returned to the forest.

The rescue operation was led by Deputy Range Officer J Jayan. The forest personnel are trying to guide the calf back to the wilds.