Forest staff on 'holiday', Army rescues baby elephant

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, April 15: A baby elephant which got stuck in a drain at rengi in Guwahati after getting separated from its mother was today rescued by army personnel.

Early on Friday morning, a routine parameter patrol of the 14 Ammunition Depot at rengi Cantonment spotted the baby elephant in the wide drain near the boundary of the Depot. It was apparently in great pain and discomfort, as its right forelimb was fractured, defence spokesman Lt Col Suneet Newton said.

The commander of the patrol party immediately informed the Commandant of the Depot Col Sanjiv Vohra who swung into action by activating his quick reaction team along with the available officers.

The GOC of 51 Sub Area Maj Gen AK Jha was also informed who directed the staff of the Sub Area Headquarters to inform the local forest officials.

The army's quick reaction team was able to rescue the baby elephant from the drain. The animal was then brought to a shady place and given flour, fruits and water.

 Meanwhile, a few forest officials also arrived on the scene.

Today being a holiday, no government veteriry doctor was available to treat the injured elephant.

The army's veteriry team under a senior army remount and veteriry corps officer was pressed into service on the orders of GOC 51 Sub Area, to provide vet first aid to the animal.

"The army vet provided immediate first aid to the animal and administered pain killers. The baby elephant is now calm and being fed and taken care of by the troops of the Ammunition Depot and the army vets are providing him with the required treatment," the defence spokesman said.

In April 2014, a baby elephant was rescued from a pond by the personnel of the same Ammunition Depot in the same area.