Bengal fishermen, forest team rescue newborn elephant calf battling Teesta currents

A newborn elephant calf was rescued by forest department officials and local fishermen after it was swept nearly 5 km downstream by the strong currents of the Teesta River in West Bengal.

The 3-4-day-old calf was swept away near Gajoldoba while its mother was looking after it. Without wasting any time, the Baikunthapur Forest Division team, with help from local fishermen, rushed to the spot and rescued the calf as it struggled to stay afloat in the river.

IFS officer Mudit Kumar Verma shared a video of the rescue, which showed fishermen on a boat reaching the calf and pulling it out of the water. The calf was then provided with veterinary care before being reunited with its mother.A newborn elephant calf was swept nearly 5 km downstream by Teesta’s strong currents.Our Forest team, with help of local fishermen, rescued the drowning calf and reunited it with its mother.A beautiful story of rescue and reunion. #elephant #wildlife #IFS #forest #teesta pic.twitter.com/rvq7fpyMd2— Mudit Kumar Verma IFS (@MuditKVerma) September 21, 2026

IFS officer Parveen Kaswan later shared a video capturing the emotional reunion. The mother elephant was seen wading through the water and almost running towards the calf before embracing it.

Watch the video here:What an amazing view and video.Today this small calf of 3–4-days was swept away by the Teesta River near Gajoldoba and found several kilometres downstream. While mother was looking after it.With the timely efforts of the Baikunthapur Forest Division, support from local pic.twitter.com/wmXi7NBE4h— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) September 21, 2026The heartwarming reunion brought the ordeal to a safe end, with the newborn calf back by its mother’s side after being swept far away by the river. - EndsPublished By: Raya GhoshPublished On: Sep 22, 2026 12:04 IST