Nephuchapur Tea Garden: Two-year-old elephant calf dies after falling into drain

Jalpaiguri: A two-year-old elephant calf died after falling into a drainage canal around 3 am in the Dhanda Dipa area of Nephuchapur Tea Garden, under Kumlai Gram Panchayat in Malbazar Block.

According to forest officials, a herd of wild elephants had entered Section 23 of the tea garden from the nearby Targhera forest late Tuesday night. While the herd was returning to the forest early Wednesday morning, the young male calf slipped into a drain and died on the spot. Later that day, around noon, a post-mortem was conducted at the Gorumara Forest range to determine the exact cause of death.

Local tea garden workers reported hearing the elephants’ trumpeting from the early hours. At dawn, many rushed to the area to see what had occurred. Aishintika Baraik, a worker at the garden, recounted: “When we arrived, we saw the mother elephant and other members of the herd trying to bury the calf by scooping soil from both sides of the canal with their trunks. It was clear they understood the calf had died. Despite their desperate attempts to lift it, they failed, and began covering the body with soil — as if laying it to rest. Watching this was heartbreaking.”

Ankan Nandi, ranger of the Mal Forest Squad, confirmed the incident, saying, “The herd entered the tea garden from Targhera forest late Tuesday night. Around 3 am, while returning, the two-year-old calf fell into the drain. The herd tried to rescue it but was unsuccessful. We also made efforts to assist, but unfortunately, the calf died. The post-mortem will confirm the precise cause of death.”

Forest department sources noted that a herd of around 70 elephants had recently migrated from Baikunthapur forest to the Teesta riverbed area in Takimari, where three people were reportedly killed in separate elephant attacks. Officials suspect that the calf may have become separated from this group and died after accidentally falling into the irrigation canal.