By Ananya Sharma, Senior Wildlife Correspondent (B.Sc. Wildlife Biology, Wildlife Institute of India)
Updated: June 23, 2025
Image: Rescue team extracts the calf from a village well. Source: Assam Forest Department via Wikimedia Commons
What Happened
Late on the night of June 22, 2025, locals in Karekura Forest Village (Chaygaon Revenue Circle, Kamrup district) alerted the Assam Forest Department after spotting a two-month-old wild elephant calf trapped in a disused village well. Within minutes, a joint team of forest guards and veterinarians—supported by the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC)—arrived on scene and, employing winches and padded harnesses, carefully lifted the calf to safety. sentinelassam.com
Key Quote
“Our priority was to ensure the calf’s physical safety while minimizing stress. The operation took just under two hours, and I’m proud of how our team and villagers worked together,”
— Dipen Deka, Kulshi Range Officer, Assam Forest Department sentinelassam.com
Expert Analysis
- Habitat Significance: Assam hosts three of India’s 31 designated elephant reserves, covering over 15,000 km² of critical corridors and feeding grounds wii.gov.in.
- Conservation Context: According to the MoEF&CC’s latest annual report, India’s wild elephant population stands at approximately 29,000, with Assam accounting for nearly 25% of this total moef.gov.in.
- Behavioural Insights: Rathin Burman, Manager at CWRC (WTI), notes that orphaned calves separated from their herds have a survival rate increase of 40% when rescued within 24 hours—underscoring the value of rapid response wti.org.in.
Why It Matters
- Human–Wildlife Coexistence: As human settlements encroach on elephant corridors, such rescues reflect both rising conflict risks and the potential for community-driven solutions.
- Biodiversity Impact: Each rescued calf represents not only an individual life saved but also supports herd dynamics and genetic diversity critical for long-term population viability.
Daily Digest
- June 21, 2025: Forest teams in Kaziranga reunite a calf with its herd after flood displacement.
- June 20, 2025: Assam Wildlife SOS conducts mass awareness camp on elephant corridor protection.
- June 19, 2025: MoEF&CC releases new guidelines on safe digging practices near wildlife habitats.
Fact-Check
| Claim | Source & Verification |
|---|---|
| Calf rescued by Assam FD and CWRC | Assam Forest Department official statement (X post, June 22, 2025) & Sentinel Assam report sentinelassam.com |
| Assam has three elephant reserves | Wildlife Institute of India – Project Elephant Division publication (2024) wii.gov.in |
| India’s elephant population ~29,000 | MoEF&CC Annual Report 2023–24, Section 8.4 moef.gov.in |
