Mother elephant attacks forest vehicle after calf dies in drain at Jalpaiguri's Banarhat tea estate

A tragic incident occurred on Saturday morning at the Karbala tea estate in Banarhat, West Bengal, when a young elephant calf died after falling into a drain. The calf was discovered by tea estate workers in the 14th section of the estate, partially buried in the mud of the drain. Upon discovering the calf’s body, workers immediately notified the forest department.

The mother elephant, seen nearby, displayed signs of distress upon realizing her calf was missing. She repeatedly rushed toward the drain, crying and agitated, which led the workers to believe she was searching for her calf. The workers quickly attempted to manage the situation by contacting forest officials. However, despite their efforts, the calf had already died by the time the forest department arrived.

When the forest department team reached the site, the mother elephant, clearly agitated, attacked the vehicle used by the forest officials. The elephant charged at the vehicle, causing substantial damage. Forest workers managed to jump out of the vehicle just in time, narrowly escaping injury. The vehicle was left damaged, with visible signs of the attack from the mother elephant.

Following the incident, the Binaguri Wildlife Squad arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area for safety. The mother elephant was observed standing guard over her deceased calf, preventing anyone from approaching the body. Efforts to retrieve the calf’s body from the drain have begun, and the area is being monitored to ensure the safety of both wildlife and workers. The wildlife authorities are also taking precautions to prevent further wildlife-human conflict in the region.