Jorhat (Assam) [India], November 21 : In a remarkable rescue operation that took place on Thursday, six elephants were rescued after they were trapped in a brick factory pit for almost eight hours near the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat.
The incident came to notice when the locals spotted the elephants struggling to climb out of the deep pit.
Information was sent to the forest department, who swiftly mobilized a rescue team and with the help of a JCB machine pulled out the elephants out of the pit, making sure no harm was caused to them.
None of the rescued elephants have suffered from any injuries, the forest department confirmed.
The herd is believed to be a part of a larger group that inadvertently wandered into human settlements while searching for food and water.
"Last night, a herd of wild elephants were playing in a water filled pit dug by a brickfield owner in the Samtal area near the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. I got to know about the incident at around 4:30 a.m. There was a small calf among the rescued elephants. With the help of my staff and a JCB machine, we rescued the herd successfully. No elephant was injured," said Anshuman Bhuyan, Mariai range Forest ranger.
"The department has been committed to protecting the wildlife. We also urge residents to remain vigilant, as the human-wildlife interactions have increased due to habitat encroachment," a senior forest official said.
Efforts are currently underway to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is known for it's rich biodiversity and is home to numerous species of animals, including the endangered hoolock gibbon.
Earlier, on November 19, a tusker from a herd of around 50 elephants was radio-collared in the Baksa district of Assam on Monday mid-day as part of an ambitious initiative led by Assam Forest Department, and Baksa Forest Division, under Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam with active support from District Administration and police, Baksa.