Tiny baby tusker is plucked from a monsoon-flooded river that threatens to sweep it away in northern India.
The six-week-old junior jumbo had been separated from its mum as it tried to wade to safety through the fast-flowing Aie River, near Chirang, after it burst its banks.
Nail-biting phone footage recorded on 30th June shows the youngster struggling at times to keep its trunk above water as it heads towards a bridge above the water.
Moments later, a second clip shows the distressed calf safely on dry land with a rope around its waist but apparently terrified of the crowd or people surrounding it.
Finally, a third video shows the young elephant wrapped in a cosy rug as it recovers from its ordeal in a wildlife rehabilitation centre.
But sadly, say elephant experts, forestry wildlife officers have been unable to find the lost calf’s mum.
Assam Forestry Department said in a statement: “Forest staff made an attempt to reunite the calf with its mother but could not locate the herd she was with.
“Currently under treatment by Forest Dept veterinarians, the calf will now be sent to Manas National Park for further rehabilitation before its release into the wild when it is old enough.”
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Story By: John Adejumo, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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