Elephant calf rescued after falling into water tank near Anthiyur in T.N.

A juvenile elephant that had ventured out of the forest in search of food was rescued after it fell into a water storage tank at Mutharasan Kuttai village near Anthiyur on Friday (May 29, 2026) night.

According to Forest Department officials, Arun, a farmer from the village located along the forest fringe, heard an elephant trumpeting near his farm during the night. Initially assuming that an elephant had entered the agricultural fields from the adjoining forest in search of food, he paid little attention. However, when the trumpeting continued from close to his house, he stepped outside and found that an elephant had fallen into a water tank about 15 feet deep on his property.

He immediately alerted the Anthiyur Forest Range Office. Forest Department staff who rushed to the spot found that the animal was a calf, estimated to be between three and five years old. The calf was struggling in the water-filled tank.

Two-hour operation

Rescue personnel first pumped out the water from the tank using an electric motor. A JCB excavator was then pressed into service to breach a portion of the structure and create a passage for the animal to climb out. The operation lasted nearly two hours.

During the rescue operation, the calf struck a part of the excavator while personnel were excavating the side of the tank.

The animal eventually climbed out of the tank and returned to the nearby forest. The incident drew the attention of local residents and highlighted the recurring movement of wild elephants from forest areas into human habitations in search of food.