Eight-week-old elephant reunited with its mother in Golaghat, Assam
Golaghat, 5th July 2025: An eight-week-old male elephant calf was left stranded after a herd of elephants was guided away from human habitation. Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) team from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), the Assam Forest Department and the Kaziranga National Park launched a coordinated effort to reunite the calf with its mother.
On the morning of 5th July, 2025, the elephant calf was reported to have been left behind after the forest department conducted a routine exercise to drive away an elephant herd near Sapjuri Market of Golaghat District. With the highway nearby and the calf visibly panicked and disoriented, the team quickly restrained the calf to ensure its safety. It was then immediately transported to the IFAW-WTI CWRC, away from the crowd, where a strategy was made for its return to the wild.
Upon admission to the centre, the veterinary team conducted a quick heath check-up, and the rescue team, led by Range Forest Officer (RFO), Mr. Sonowal, moved the calf to the location where the herd was last seen. A trail was identified using two captive elephants before the team closed in on the location of the herd. The calf was coated with fresh elephant dung to mask any unnatural smell that might lead to the mother not accepting the animal. “Soon we heard the rumbles coming from the forest and allowed the captive elephants to take the lead,” recollects Dr. Bhaskar Choudhury, the head veterinarian and the centre manager at CWRC. “The female, an 8.5 feet tall individual, had emerged from the woods and came to a halt before the calf. She paused briefly, and then the two walked back into the forest together”, he adds.
In a similar incident, on the same day, another elephant calf that was stuck in a mud pit was rescued by the forest department staff and locals of Deomali, Arunachal Pradesh. The calf was believed to have been struggling for at least two days before it was reported to the forest department. A coordinated effort, led by Range Forest Officer (RFO) Shri Diwang Lowang, led to the rescue of the calf from the pit, which is believed to be an old well. “It took two hours of hard work, but at the end of the day, the calf was able to safely return to the forest”, quotes Mr. Lowang.
Elephant calf resue in Deomali, Arunachal Pradesh | Photograph by Leamkai Wangpan, Forester, Deomali Forest Range
“The community played a crucial role in saving this calf, and we sincerely appreciate the support”, added Mr. Lowang. Other team members included Shri Kaling Libang (Forester), Shri Leamkai Wangpan (Forester), Shri Leki Ingo (Forester), Shri O.P. Singh (Forest Guard), and other members of the forest department.
