Forest Department staff rescue female elephant stuck in marsh
The Hindu
Staff of the Gudalur forest division saved the life of a female elephant that got stuck in a marsh near Padanthorai village in Gudalur on Thursday.
Undertaken by a team of 10 Forest Department personnel acting on instructions from District Forest Officer (Gudalur Division), Kommu Omkaram, the team reached the marsh soon after they received information about the incident.
Speaking to The Hindu, P. Ganesan, Forest Range Officer (Gudalur), said that the animal was stuck in the swamp and due to her tremendous weight, she was unable to extricate herself.
“The elephant was part of a herd of 10 animals that inhabit the Gudalur division. If we had failed in the rescue, it is very probable that the animal would have gotten exhausted and would have died in a very short time,” said Mr. Ganesan.
Armed with only a few ropes, the Forest Department staff led by forest guard Prakash, reached the area and chased away the herd before beginning the operation. “They tied one end of the rope to a strong tree and the other to a stick, which they threw down to the elephant. Fortunately, the elephant seemed to realise that we were trying to help her and got a hold of the rope and held on. The staff then pulled on the rope after laying some sticks in the marsh to help the animal gain some leverage so she could climb out,” said Mr. Ganesan.
Once the animal escaped the swamp, she was reunited with the herd that was waiting for her in a tea estate nearby. “We are monitoring the health of the animal, but she seems to be well on the way to making a full recovery,” said Mr. Ganesan.
Budding businesswomen engaged in producing ecologically sustainable products got an opportunity to improve their visibility, thanks to a programme launched by Tiruchi Regional Engineering College – Science and Technology Entrepreneurs (TREC-STEP) in collaboration with online platform Maheela Power recently