Villagers carry lost baby elephant on shoulders to take it to recovery
This is the heartwarming moment a group of villagers finds an elephant calf separated from its herd.
They decide to adopt the calf and carry it home on their shoulders followed by hundreds of other villagers.
The incident occurred in a village at Athagarh Forest Division of Odisha, India, on August 13.
A few farmers spotted the lonely calf besides a canal about three kilometres from their village. The calf had collapsed due to dehydration and hunger.
Moved by their plight the villagers decided to take it home. As the calf was too weak to walk the men took turns in carrying the nearly 100kg (220 pounds) baby on their shoulders.
The word quickly spread and hundreds of villagers joined the procession with many shouting slogans and cheering the calf.
A local villager Bibu Das, 23, said: “Many saw the calf as a good omen for the village and wanted to adopt it.”
But the forest officials had other ideas. They took the calf and sent it to a government veterinary facility for treatment and care.
“After the calf recovers, we will try to reunite it with its herd,” said an official.
They decide to adopt the calf and carry it home on their shoulders followed by hundreds of other villagers.
The incident occurred in a village at Athagarh Forest Division of Odisha, India, on August 13.
A few farmers spotted the lonely calf besides a canal about three kilometres from their village. The calf had collapsed due to dehydration and hunger.
Moved by their plight the villagers decided to take it home. As the calf was too weak to walk the men took turns in carrying the nearly 100kg (220 pounds) baby on their shoulders.
The word quickly spread and hundreds of villagers joined the procession with many shouting slogans and cheering the calf.
A local villager Bibu Das, 23, said: “Many saw the calf as a good omen for the village and wanted to adopt it.”
But the forest officials had other ideas. They took the calf and sent it to a government veterinary facility for treatment and care.
“After the calf recovers, we will try to reunite it with its herd,” said an official.