Six elephants rescued from a brick pit near the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam

Jorhat, Nov 21: In a dramatic rescue operation on Thursday, six elephants, including a calf, were freed after being trapped for over eight hours in a brick factory pit near the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat. The incident was first noticed by local residents who saw the elephants trying to get out of a deep hole.

The forest department quickly responded to the situation by sending a rescue team around 4:30 am. A JCB was used to lift the elephants from the pit and fortunately none of the animals were harmed. “The rescue operation was successful and all six elephants were brought out safely without any damage,” said Anshuman Bhuyan, forest range officer of Mariai range.

The elephants are believed to have wandered into human settlements in search of food and water, a common problem as their natural habitat comes under increasing encroachment. The incident highlights the growing problem of human-wildlife conflict in the region.

Home to a variety of endangered species including the bully gibbon, the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is an area of ​​rich biodiversity. Forest officials are working on measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, urging local residents to be more vigilant when reporting wildlife sightings.

This rescue follows a recent wildlife conservation initiative in Assam, where a tusk from a herd of 50 elephants was radio-collared in Baksa district as part of the Assam Forest Department’s ongoing conservation efforts.