A wild elephant trapped in the river Ganges.

Elephant saved from drowning

A wild elephant trapped in the river Ganges.
A wild elephant trapped in the river Ganges.

Forest guards at the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India found a wild elephant trapped in one of the barrages on the Ganges river in the early hours of 15th March 2018, and have successfully saved from drowning. Quick thinking made them divert the water to another canal allowing the elephant to swim to safety. The reserve houses over 350 elephants and other wild animals and also has a hydropower plant.

Sanatan Sonker director of the tiger reserve said:  “The elephant got washed away in the strong current of the river, after a territorial fight with other animals and eventually getting trapped at the Virbhadra barrage gate in Rishikesh town. The high volume of water was making the elephant struggle and that is why we decided to save him quickly”.