Assam, 8th September, 2026:  A female wild elephant found herself in a perilous situation after her trunk got caught in a deadly snare trap in Assam’s Raimona National Park.

The injured elephant, estimated to be around 25 years old, was first spotted on 1st September 2026 near the Daogen Gonthong anti-poaching camp under the Sanfan Range of the Kachugaon Division, along the Indo-Bhutan border. She was accompanied by her calf. Forest guards stationed at the camp immediately began tracking her movements over the following days to plan a safe intervention.

On 7th September, the elephant was sighted again near the camp area, prompting the swift deployment of a joint veterinary team comprising specialists Dr Prabhat Basumatary, FVO, Manas Tiger Reserve, Dr Daoharu Baro, Vet. Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and Dr Pankaj Chakraborty, VO, State Veterinary Dispensary, Gossaigaon. The forest team was led by Biswajit Basumatary, FRO, Sanfan Range.

The elephant was chemically immobilised from a safe distance | Photo © Dhrubojit Boro/Forester I/ Sanfan Range

The team chemically immobilised the elephant to allow for a safe and thorough examination. The entire procedure was completed in approximately 30 minutes, after which the elephant was safely guided back into the forest.

Following the intervention, forest officials will continue to closely monitor the elephant over the coming days to assess her recovery.

Snare traps are lethal hunting devices that can cause severe lacerations, tissue damage, fractures and prolonged suffering, and may ultimately lead to death if an animal is unable to free itself or receive timely treatment.

The veterinary team applying medication on the injured elephant’s trunk| Photo © Dhrubojit Boro/Forester I/ Sanfan Range

Dr. Daoharu Baro, Manager (Vet.), WTI said, “The elephant has sustained a deep cut wound on her trunk caused by the tightly embedded wire snare, resulting in significant soft-tissue injury with pus discharge. We carefully removed the wire, followed by thorough wound cleaning, removal of dead tissue, antiseptic dressing, and provided appropriate wound management.”

Mustafizur Ali Ahmed, DFO,  Kachugaon Forest Division, commended the team’s prompt response and expertise in ensuring the animal had received timely care and was successfully treated. He stated, “This was a challenging task, as our staff had been trying to locate the injured elephant since the first day of the sighting. Finally, the rescue and treatment operation was successfully carried out. There is a possibility that she may have encountered a snare trap in the fringe areas. We are closely monitoring the situation and taking all necessary measures to ensure that such an incident does not happen again.”