Local fishermen from the North Bengal Fishermen's Forum rescued a three-or-four-day-old elephant calf after spotting its trunk above the flooded Teesta River. They rowed nearly three miles from Kranti-Punjab Dam to reach and pull the exhausted calf into their boat, then brought it ashore. The calf was reunited with its mother and both are under Baikanthapur forest department supervision; officials confirmed the mother accepted and nursed the youngster.
Fishermen Row Nearly Three Miles to Rescue Newborn Elephant Swept Down Teesta River
Fishermen rescued the calf and put it onto their boat before releasing it on land
A newborn elephant calf was pulled from the swollen Teesta River after local fishermen spotted its trunk intermittently breaking the surface and rowed nearly three miles from the Kranti-Punjab Dam to reach it.
The calf had become separated from its herd while attempting to cross the river and was swept away by a strong current. Members of the North Bengal Fishermen's Forum launched a rescue mission and reached the stranded animal by boat.
The calf, along with its mother, is under forest department supervision
Video of the rescue shows the men — Mithu Das, Rajesh Das, Biswanath Das, Gopal Das and Bablu Das — rowing a small wooden boat toward the calf as its trunk bobbed above the water. The rescuers hauled the young animal into the boat and laid it on its side, exhausted but alive.
The fishermen carried the calf back to dry land, where forest officials examined it and found it to be healthy. The youngster was later seen walking toward what appeared to be its mother, and both animals are now under the supervision of the Baikanthapur forest department.
The mother and baby elephant are thought to have been trying to cross the river
"A three-or-four-day-old elephant calf was separated from its mother near Gajaldoba barrage," said Mudit Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer of Baikanthapur, to The Indian Express. He added that the calf was carried about 4 km (roughly 2.5 miles) downstream while the mother remained upstream near Gajaldoba.
Officials initially worried that prolonged human contact could cause the mother to reject the calf, but they were relieved to see her nurse and reunite with the youngster. The Baikanthapur forest division hosts significant populations of Asian elephants, as well as leopards and many bird species, and local teams remain vigilant during the monsoon season when river crossings are most dangerous.
In a separate incident in late August, forest officers in Uttar Pradesh rescued a herd that had been swept toward a barrage on the Kaudiyala River by closing a gate to slow the current, allowing adult elephants to guide two calves to safety.
Community response: The rescue highlights how local knowledge and quick action by fishermen and forest staff can save wildlife in flood-prone areas. Authorities continue to monitor the pair to ensure their full recovery and safe return to the herd.
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