Elephant calf dies after falling in mud-pit in Assam, another killed by train
It is suspected that the elephant calf got separated from the herd in search of food, lost it’s way and fell in the pit while running fast out of fear
A one-and-a-half-month old elephant calf, separated from its mother, died after falling into a mud pit in Assam’s Titabar on Monday night. In another incident, an adult elephant was killed by a speeding train in Biswanath district, officials confirmed.
According the forest officials, the dead body of the elephant calf was recovered from a big mud-pit at Rangajan area of Titabar near Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary of Mariani.
“It is suspected that the calf got separated from the herd in search of food, lost it’s way and fell in the pit while running fast out of fear,” an official said.
Locals said that they heard a scream but initially they didn’t go close because adult elephants could have been present nearby.
“We know the sounds of elephants and in such situations the mother elephant gets mad at humans. We informed the forest officials and they found that the calf was alone. Unfortunately, the creature died before it was rescued,” they said.
Officials said the dead body will be cremated in forest area.
In another incident in Biswanath district’s Buroighat area, an adult male elephant died after accidentally falling in front of Donyi Polo Express, coming from Arunachal Pradesh, on Monday late-evening, according to the officials.
According to the onlookers, a herd of wild elephants were crossing the railway tracks when the train came. “The other elephants managed to cross but one of them fell in front of the train,” locals said.
A team of doctors from the forest department reached the spot after the incident but they said that the elephant died before they came. The forest department later recovered the dead body.
