Earlier this week, forest officials rescued a baby elephant that had fallen into a muddy ditch in Siddapura village in Coorg district. The heartwarming video of the rescue has been circulating on the internet, showing the baby elephant trapped in a mud puddle and being helped out with the assistance of an excavator. The elephant touched the excavator with his forehead, a small gesture to express gratitude, before walking off into the forest to the cheers of the people around him.
The rescue was captured entirely by a member of the forestry staff and quickly gained popularity on Twitter. According to the Indian Express, on Wednesday (May 19) in the Indian state of Karnataka, the baby elephant accidentally fell into a swamp and struggled to crawl out due to the slippery mud. Fortunately, the rescue team sent an excavator, which extended its long arms and placed the bucket onto the little elephant’s back, lifting him out of the ditch. The touching moment between humans and animals highlights the importance of wildlife conservation and the need to protect endangered species.
When the baby elephant climbed up with all his might, and with the excavator bucket bent upside down, it helped lift the baby elephant. He then climbed up again and in a few seconds, and with the help of an excavator, the baby elephant was finally lifted to the higher dry ground. “Okay!” cheers erupted from the crowd.
When it finally reached up the ground, the elephant ran forward, bowed, and pressed its forehead against the excavator bucket. It turned out that the elephant expressed his gratitude for this.
After expressing his gratitude, the little elephant ran amidst the cheers of the crowd, and happily stepped into the depths of the forest, and caught up with his friends.
According to Sudha Ramen, the deputy manager of the State Forestry Department who filmed the video, the baby elephant’s gesture means “thank you.” Ramen explains that rescue operations are usually carried out in a quiet environment, with only forestry officers and veterinarians present, to prevent animals from becoming panicked or aggressive. Excavators are used to repel wild animals from residential areas without causing harm.
Here is the post that went viral on Twitter and the comments from citizens who appreciated what the people have done to help the poor elephant:
According to data provided by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there are currently less than 50,000 elephants left in Asia, and the number of their species has been declining since the last century.
Researchers reported that female elephants usually give birth to baby elephants within 4 to 5 years, and female elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals, which usually takes up to 22 months.