Rescue team frees young elephant trapped by discarded truck tyre in Assam

Rescue teams in Assam have pulled a sub-adult elephant free after a discarded truck tyre became wedged around its neck, the latest in a string of incidents highlighting the mounting human-driven dangers facing the state's pachyderms.

The animal was spotted struggling to dislodge the tyre while moving with its herd at Bukhial Tea Estate in Golaghat district on the morning of September 10, 2026. Officials from the Golaghat Forest Division and a specialist team from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga responded to assess the situation and track the herd's movements.

"The rescue team carefully removed the tyre from around the distressed elephant's neck after it was chemically immobilised. The elephant later returned to its herd," said Bhaskar Choudhury, CWRC's centre head and lead veterinarian at the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

Wire snare and trench incidents compound threat

The tyre rescue came just days after wildlife veterinarians treated a female elephant whose trunk had been caught in a wire-mesh snare on the edges of Raimona National Park in western Assam.

On the morning of September 9, 2026, an elephant calf was discovered trapped in a muddy trench at Seconee Tea Estate near Kaziranga. The calf's herd, after attempting to guide the youngster out, eventually left the area. Deep trenches intended to keep elephants away are frequently dug around tea estates.

Tea garden workers and villagers nearby alerted Kaziranga National Park authorities, who called in a CWRC team to coordinate the rescue.

Dehydrated calf admitted for rehabilitation

The calf, estimated to be between four and six weeks old, was dehydrated and suffering from severe muscular exhaustion when rescuers lifted it from the trench and transported it to the nearest forest beat office for veterinary care. It was given fluids to aid recovery.

The team waited for the elephant herd to return in search of the calf, but the animals did not reappear. The calf was subsequently admitted to the CWRC for rehabilitation, joining ten other elephants currently under care at the centre.

"This calf's journey from isolation and distress to safety and care reflects the dedication of local communities, forest officials, and wildlife experts working together. While we always prioritise reunion with the wild herd, rehabilitation offers this calf a second chance at life," Dr Choudhury said.

The three incidents within days underscore the range of anthropogenic hazards, from snares and discarded industrial waste to man-made barriers, that elephants now routinely encounter across Assam.

Source: The Hindu