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Jorhat, Oct. 13: Forest department and local residents are trying to save an elephant which was trapped on a sandbar in the middle of the Brahmaputra and has turned weak because of lack of food.
Majuli forest beat officer Atul Das told The Telegraph today that the female elephant was spotted yesterday at Mitha chapori, a sandbar located between Majuli and Janjimukh, by a few fishermen.
The fishermen then informed the forest department.
“We went to the sandbar by boat yesterday and found that the elephant had turned weak, as there is no grass or vegetation on the sandbar. The elephant had probably been trapped on the sandbar for the last 10-15 days when the Brahmaputra was in full spate. It got separated from the herd,” Das said.
Forest officials and fishermen have been supplying food — banana trees, paddy and grass — to the elephant since yesterday.
“We visited the spot again today and found the full-grown elephant in a much better condition. Yesterday, it could not even move but today it charged at us. We provided more food today. We are hopeful that the elephant will be able to swim across the river and find the herd within a couple of days,” the forest official said.
He said the forest department had directed a few fishermen to provide regular food to the elephant for the next few days.
“We have also observed the elephant closely and found no injury marks,” he said.
Das said if the fishermen had not found the elephant, it would have died.
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