Angry Elephant herd prevents forest officials from recovering dead calf’s body

An elephant calf's body has remained unrecovered for over 24 hours at Karbala Tea Garden in Bengal's Jalpaiguri following its death on Saturday after falling into a drain. The calf, found trapped in the drain early on Saturday morning, died shortly after the fall. Since then, the mother elephant has been aggressively guarding the calf’s body, preventing any efforts to retrieve it.

Forest officials from the Banarhat Range and Binnaguri Wildlife Squad arrived at the scene on Saturday to recover the calf’s body. However, each time they approached, the mother elephant charged at them, even attacking their vehicles. Despite these aggressive encounters, the forest team continued their efforts throughout the day. The situation escalated as the mother elephant remained fiercely protective, standing guard over the body for hours.

At around 1 AM, after the prolonged standoff, the mother elephant used her trunk to lift the calf’s body and moved it about 100 meters into the jungle. She carried the lifeless calf through dense vegetation before abandoning the body once she seemingly realized the calf was dead. Afterward, she retreated with the herd into the forest. The forest team, unable to retrieve the body due to the continued presence of the herd, decided to maintain a watchful distance, prioritizing their safety over recovery efforts.

By Sunday morning, forest workers resumed their surveillance, though the calf’s body remained untouched. Reports indicate that the elephant herd is still nearby, creating a dangerous environment for any recovery attempt. Officials are waiting for the herd to leave the area before proceeding with the body recovery. If the herd does not return by the afternoon, the forest department plans to recover the body for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death. The delay in retrieving the calf’s body is also raising concerns about the preservation of any evidence for further investigation.