Wild elephant trapped in mud rescued after 9-hr effort in Chattogram
The elephant was stuck in the mud for over 24 hours
A 40-year-old wild elephant stuck in the mud inside Chattogram's Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary was rescued after a nine-hour operation yesterday evening (6 March).
Officials from the Forest Department, with the help of local villagers, successfully pulled the elephant to safety at around 5pm in the Napora area of Banshkhali upazila.
Anisuzzaman Sheikh, an official of the Jaldi Range of the Forest Department, said they received information about the trapped elephant at around 7pm on Wednesday (5 March). The rescue operation began at 8am the next morning.
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"We first used a pump to spray water and clean the mud off the elephant's body. Water was also used to soften the mud. Then, with the help of at least 35 villagers, we managed to pull out of the mud and bring the elephant to dry ground," he said.
According to Anisuzzaman, the elephant appeared malnourished and had weakened further due to being stuck in the mud. "After the rescue, we gave the elephant saline water to help it recover. It was unable to stand on its own," he added.
Chattogram Wildlife and Biodiversity Conservation Officer Dipannita Bhattacharjee said the elephant was stuck in mud for over 24 hours. "It tried to get out of the mud at its best, which made it tired and weak."
She said veterinarians from Dulahazara Safari Park have arrived at the spot to provide necessary medical assistance. The place where the elephant was stuck was deep inside the forest with no mobile networks.
"We do not yet know whether the elephant returned to its herd or just lying in the forest. We will receive an update once the vet team returns," Dipannita said.
