12 Lalgarh: In a remarkable display of intelligence and teamwork, three elephants, including a mother, rescued a calf that had fallen into a concrete drain in Lalgarh on Wednesday morning.
A herd of 25 elephants was crossing the road to return to the forest when the calf fell into the 3-ft-deep drain. As the mother struggled to rescue the baby, another elephant of the herd stepped in to assist. As the forest department was informed and officials started to prepare a landmover to lift the calf up, another elephant joined in the efforts. The three jumbos used their trunks to lift the calf to safety within 10 to 15 minutes, after which the little one rejoined the herd and returned to the forest.
According to forest officials, for about a week now, a group of 70 elephants is frequenting Jhitka forest of Lalgarh range for about a week now. The herd later split into two, with 25 elephants venturing towards Netai village at midnight on Tuesday in search of food. It was during the return journey that the calf fell into the drain.