The New Indian Express ·
Forest officials in Assam rescue wild elephant from deadly snare trap
GUWAHATI: A wild female elephant was rescued jointly by the Assam's forest department and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) after it was found wounded near the Raimona National Park.
Dr Daoharu Baro, manager, WTI said, “The elephant has sustained a deep cut on its trunk caused by the tightly embedded wire snare trap, resulting in significant soft-tissue injury with pus discharge."
The 25-year-old injured elephant was first spotted with its calf on September 1 near the Daogen Gonthong anti-poaching camp along the India-Bhutan border. The forest guards stationed at the camp immediately began tracking its movements over the following days to plan a safe intervention.
On September 7, the elephant was sighted again near the camp area, prompting a swift deployment of a joint veterinary team from the forest department and the WTI.
The team chemically immobilised the animal for a safe and thorough examination.
Baro said, "We have carefully removed the wire, followed by thorough wound cleaning, removal of dead tissue, antiseptic dressing, and provided appropriate wound care.”
The entire procedure was completed in about 30 minutes, after which the elephant was safely guided back into the forest.
A WTI statement said forest officials would continue to closely monitor the elephant to assess its recovery.
Divisional Forest Officer Mustafizur Ali Ahmed commended the team’s prompt response and expertise in ensuring the animal received timely care and was successfully treated.
“This was a challenging task, as our staff had been trying to locate the injured elephant since the first day of the sighting. Finally, the rescue and treatment operation was successfully carried out,” Ahmed said.
Snare traps are lethal hunting devices that can cause severe lacerations, tissue damage, fractures and prolonged suffering, and may ultimately lead to death if an animal is unable to free itself or receive timely treatment.