Bablu Das was fishing in the Teesta River on Monday morning (September 21, 2026) when his phone rang. It was the sluice gate operator from the Gajoldoba Teesta Barrage upstream. “An elephant calf is going downstream. Save it,” a man screamed from the other side.
Mr.
Raj, who had accompanied the team, said the team could not identify the mother. The “intention was simple” – release the calf on a dry stretch of the riverbed and wait. “The calf would call its mother, allowing her to identify her baby and come back to take it,” he said.
“We operate a small dinghy and don’t have life jackets.
local knowledge, boating skills, and timely assistance,” Mr While the Forest Department praised the five fishermen’s “courage. Das said they had limitations. we urge the government to help us,” he said While we will go to any extent to save a life.
But there was a problem. Hundreds had gathered to make reels, and the commotion kept the herd away, which hid behind the swathe of tall wild grass growing along the riverbank. Raj. Moments later, it began calling for its mother from a distance. The mother responded and emerged, sauntering towards the calf and letting out a loud rumble before enveloping it in her trunk.
The calf kept coming back to its rescuers as it felt safe, said Mr.
“We have been coordinating with the forest department and have rescued elephant calves and deer. Das, who is also the secretary of the Uttarbanga Matsyajibi Forum.
We live next to the Teesta and spend our entire day there, fishing,” said Mr.
