An intense scene unfolded in Thattekad near Urulanthanni River in Kerala a little over a week ago. A baby elephant could be seen wailing in panic as it fell and got stuck in a well while trying to cross the river.
Try as the little one might, it was unable to climb out and go to its herd. Its plight caught the attention of the villagers and forest officials who happened to be nearby.
The humans quickly came to the elephant’s rescue. In the intense five hours that followed, the rescuers used a mechanical digger to clear the earth into a ramp like structure from one side of the well so the calf could climb out.
A number people, including villagers can be seen waiting in anticipation as the digger does its work. It is almost as if the calf realised that a path was being cleared for it, and it moved closer to the other side, where the river was and its herd remained waiting.
The calf is finally reunited in a triumphant moment for the spectators, rescuers as well as the pachyderms.
While the above video, posted on YouTube on 29 November, shows the final moments of digging and rescue, a video by Newsweek shows the baby animal trumpeting in distress hours before as it is separated from its family and unable to climb out.
In the video, an adult elephant, possibly the mother of the calf, turns around and raises its trunk towards the rescuers, as if thanking them. The rescuers and spectators respond with cheers of their own.
(The story was originally published on The News Minute and has been republished with permission).
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