Angul, Jan 23: In a heartwarming yet challenging rescue operation, a baby elephant got caught in a fishing net near the Haripur village under the Barkot region in Angul. The incident occurred when the elephant calf, about a month old, became trapped in a fishing net at the Rengali water reservoir, near the bridge.

The elephant calf, along with a group of 11 elephants, had been crossing the area from the Haripur village towards the Chasagurujang region. During this movement, the young elephant got entangled in the net, which was left in the water by local fishermen. Efforts to rescue the elephant during the night were unsuccessful as attempts by locals to cut the net and free the calf failed. Throughout the night, the residents tried hard to save the calf, but by morning, the situation had become more urgent.

The next morning, at around 5 am, local fishermen spotted the trapped calf while retrieving their catch. They immediately informed the forest department, and the rescue operation began, though there were delays. By 8 am, forest personnel arrived at the site with a team of four staff members, notifying the fire department about the situation.

However, due to significant delays in response from the fire brigade, the villagers, in desperation, waded into the water themselves to cut the net and rescue the calf. After 12 hours of struggle in the water, the calf was freed and taken to a safer area. Despite the efforts of the forest department to provide medical care, it was found that the calf was unwilling to accept the intervention. It was then considered for release near a nearby elephant group, hoping the calf might be accepted.

The forest department continued monitoring the calf’s behavior to determine whether the group would accept it. In case the calf is not accepted, it will be relocated to another facility in the Deogarh Forest Range, according to Barkot Forest Officer Anil Kumar Nayak.