Elephant calf dies after falling into drain in Karbala Tea Garden

Jalpaiguri/ Siliguri: An elephant calf died after falling into an irrigation drain in Section 124 of Karbala Tea Garden on Saturday. The mother elephant stood by her deceased calf throughout the day, but by Sunday morning, she moved away and returned to the Reti Forest. The forest workers recovered the calf’s body later that morning.

The incident first came to light early Saturday when tea workers alerted the authorities, prompting the Binnaguri Wildlife Squad to respond. Upon arrival, they found the mother elephant guarding her dead calf. In a display of grief, the enraged mother attacked a Forest department vehicle, overturning and damaging it. Other elephants from the group were seen standing in the surrounding forest. Locals gathered at the site after hearing about the calf’s death and the Banarhat Police arrived to manage the crowd.

Himadri Debnath, Ranger of the Binnaguri Wildlife Squad, said: “The mother elephant remained close to her calf out of grief. We had to wait for her to leave before we could recover the body. Unfortunately, one of our vehicles was overturned by the mother.”

In another incident The oldest elephant of Bengal Safari park in Siliguri, ‘Lakshmi’ passed away at the park on Friday night at the age of 68. The majestic animal, known for her gentle nature and significant contributions to the park’s operations, succumbed to old age. Lakshmi, who was brought to Jaldapara Sanctuary from Shonpur, Uttar Pradesh, in 2009, had been an integral part of the park’s ecosystem. She participated in numerous tourist safaris and played a crucial role in various rescue and search operations. Her demise has left a void in the hearts of park officials and staff, who mourn the loss of a beloved inmate.