Golaghat, September 10: A wild elephant that had been roaming in visible distress with a large tractor tyre tightly lodged around its neck was successfully rescued by forest department personnel and wildlife experts in Golaghat district on Thursday, ending a tense multi-hour operation that drew statewide attention after videos of the animal went viral on social media. The elephant was first spotted in the morning near a tea garden in the Bokial area of Numaligarh under the Morongi range, moving with considerable difficulty as the heavy tyre restricted its movement and raised fears of serious injury or infection.
Local residents who noticed the animal immediately alerted authorities, and Khumtai MLA Mrinal Saikia contacted senior forest officials to ensure a swift response. Teams from the Golaghat Forest Division, supported by experts from the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga, reached the location and began tracking the elephant’s movement through the tea estate and adjoining forested patches. Officials used a drone to monitor the animal from a safe distance while assessing the safest moment and method to intervene. Residents were repeatedly urged not to approach, chase or disturb the elephant so that the rescue could be carried out without adding to its stress.
In the evening, after several hours of careful observation, the team decided to chemically immobilise the elephant. Once tranquilised, frontline forest staff and veterinarians worked swiftly and with precision to cut and remove the heavy tyre without causing any injury to the animal. The elephant was given fluids to help it recover and was kept under observation until it regained full strength. Officials later confirmed that the animal had rejoined its herd, bringing visible relief to both the rescue teams and the local community.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared updates on the successful operation, writing that “whether human or animal, no one in Assam will remain in distress.” He added that the tyre stuck around the elephant’s neck in Numaligarh had posed a massive threat to its life, but prompt action by the forest department had saved the animal and allowed it to return to its herd. Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah also praised the frontline teams, saying they had acted with utmost care and courage under challenging circumstances and that their commitment to protecting wildlife was truly commendable.
Officials believe the tyre, suspected to have come from a discarded tractor, had been left in the forest area. The curious elephant is thought to have picked it up with its trunk, after which the object slipped around its neck and became tightly stuck. Wildlife experts noted that such incidents of anthropogenic hazards — human-generated waste and objects becoming dangerous traps — are an increasing concern for elephants in Assam. The successful rescue has been widely welcomed as an example of coordinated and sensitive wildlife response, even as it has once again highlighted the need for better management of waste in and around forest and tea garden areas to prevent similar threats to wild animals in future.
