An elephant calf that had slipped and fallen into the PAP (Parambikulam Aliyar Project) contour canal in Pollachi was rescued and reunited with its mother, in a risky operation by T.N. Forest Department field staff.
The mother elephant had initially tried very hard to rescue the baby, but the young one was unable to come out due to strong water flow in the canal. The Forest Department staff had waited for the mother elephant to get a little away from the calf and then stepped into the canal for the hazardous rescue operation. The calf was eventually brought out by the team and united with the mother elephant, which even acknowledged the humanitarian gesture by waving its trunk, according to Forest Department sources.
