Mandya, Nov 19: The Karnataka Forest Department has finally succeeded in rescuing a wild elephant who was struggling to survive after falling into a canal near Shivanasamudra, and the forest officials have been widely praised for their bravery.

The marathon rescue operation conducted by the Forest Department to rescue a wild elephant that had fallen into a canal near Shivanasamudra in Mandya district three days ago has finally been successful. The wild elephant that had fallen into the canal escaped alive due to the continuous operations of the Forest Department.

The forest department staff lifted the wild elephant from the canal using a crane. After treating it, it was released in the nearby Halaguru forest area, officials said.


 Wild elephant fell into the canal while searching for food

According to officials, the wild elephant, aged 10 to 15 years, had fallen into the canal near Shivavasamudra in Malavalli taluk of the district while searching for food. The elephant had been stuck in the canal that supplies water to a private power station for 3 days. The forest department, which rushed to the spot as soon as it came to know about this, set up camp on the spot and conducted continuous operations to rescue the wild elephant.


Elephant falls down after coming to drink water

Around 11.15 am on Saturday, an elephant accidentally fell down into the 20-foot-deep canal of the Pioneer Junco Limited Power Generation Unit in Bluff, which is adjacent to the Cauvery River, to drink water. Later, the wild elephant could not come back up from the canal due to the rapid flow of water and staggered.

Marathon operation

Forest department officials and police had fed the wild elephant and monitored its health. Forest department staff had tried to lift the elephant from the canal yesterday. But the operation was hampered due to high water in the canal. Today, the operation was carried out by reducing the water level in the canal.

Initially, they tried to get the elephant to come up on its own by bursting firecrackers. But it was not possible. Therefore, the forest department brought the elephant up using a container. The elephant was given two anesthetic injections and after it lost consciousness, it was brought up using a crane and treated.

Later, after the elephant regained consciousness, the elephant was released into the Halaguru forest area. As a precautionary measure, a team of forest staff and doctors also went to the forest and are monitoring the elephant.

Doctors said that the elephant's leg is likely to have fungus as it had been in the water for 4 days. Also, the elephant had been struggling in the canal without proper food. Therefore, after conducting a health check-up of the elephant, the doctors will give some treatment. It is said that they will return after monitoring the elephant's health.


Rescue of the elephant using a crane

After giving 2 anesthetic injections, the elephant lost consciousness and collapsed in the canal. The staff then went down into the canal, tied a belt to the elephant's legs, made it lie down on an iron mat, and lifted the elephant out of the canal using a crane.

It was safely lifted and moved by a lorry. The elephant has now been treated and released by the forest staff to the Halaguru forest area. Thus, the elephant rescue operation has been successful.


 Forest department commends for its bravery

The forest department's operation to rescue the elephant that fell into the canal has been commended.