Elephants are among the most intelligent and intuitive species in the animal kingdom, despite their obtuseness. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, just like humans, and it’s pretty obvious when something bothers them. This was the case with one Indian elephant. A large crowd gathered to watch this elephant dig a hole in the mud for 11 hours straight and all night long. The villagers were well aware that this was not typical behavior and that something was terribly wrong to cause her to act in this manner. However, the bystanders were shocked when they realized what she was doing…
The Elephant Who Dug A Hole For 11 Hours Finally Pulls Out Something No One Expected
Elephant Herd
A herd of about 60 elephants was spotted walking through a dusty region of northeastern India in 2015. The rainy seasons and high altitude of this landscape are well-known. The royal Bengal tiger, leopard golden cat, fishing cat, marbled cat, and other animals live in the region’s forests. The elephants had been traveling for miles when something truly terrible happened.
Elephant Herd
The one weird elephant
The elephants were traveling through Chatra district, about 100 miles from Ranchi, the state capital of Jharkhand. The city has a temperate climate and served as Bihar’s summer capital until Jharkhand was split up in 2000. As a result, it is known as the “City of WaterFalls” and a place where elephants can be seen from time to time. Migrating elephants were nothing new to the villagers. But one, in particular, caught their attention…
The One Weird Elephant
Used to traveling elephants
Elephants are the world’s largest land mammals. Humans are their only predators. Elephants are gentle animals unless they are forced to be otherwise by the need to protect themselves. They are accustomed to traveling elephants in the Chatra district. But there was something odd about one elephant, in particular, this time…
Used To Traveling Elephants
What was the elephant doing?
This elephant’s behavior was mysterious and erratic. The other elephants were no longer visible. Instead, villagers surrounded her in a muddy field as the hours passed. What had she been up to? What had caused her to become separated from the rest of her herd? But these questions would be answered soon…
What Was The Elephant Doing?
Why was she alone?
Elephants live in large groups with male and female elephants separated. Males and females only interact with each other for mating purposes and brief social interactions. Females live in a group for the rest of their lives and raise their children together. So when the villagers saw this elephant alone, it was a strange sight. However, they soon discovered why…
Why Was She Alone
Causing quite the stir
The elephant created quite a stir; she was agitated, and the locals couldn’t figure out why. The villagers watched as the elephant, now separated from her herd, pushed her trunk into the dirt. But the question on everyone’s mind was why she left the herd in the first place.
Causing Quite The Stir
Going to look at what the elephant was doing
Elephants do not abandon one another. When an elephant is injured, the other elephants try to help, even if staying and helping puts them in danger. If an elephant in the group is forced to move slowly due to injury or old age, the other elephants in the group will follow suit. When an elephant dies, the entire herd mourns his loss. However, the herd was nowhere to be found, and this lonely elephant was acting strangely on his own. The villagers were taken aback and decided to investigate what the elephant was up to.
Going To Look At What The Elephant Was Doing
Eager to attack
The villagers were curious as to what the elephant was up to. However, they were concerned that the elephant had been injured and was ready to attack. The villagers were aware that something was wrong, but they were too afraid to investigate. Finally, however, one man stepped forward to take a look.
Eager To Attack
The elephant snapped!
Jitendra Tiwari, a villager who was tired of waiting, approached the elephant slowly. He got closer to the elephant with each step. He was well aware that he would be required to persuade the elephant to trust him. So he walked slowly towards the elephant. He was balancing on his toes. The elephant, however, noticed him and snapped!
The Elephant Snapped!
An angry elephant
The elephant, according to Jitendra Tiwari, had an angry but also terrified expression on his face. The elephant began to make noise for Jitendra to move away from him. That’s exactly what he did. Jitendra returned to the other villagers, but he had seen something. He waved to them, eager to tell them what he had seen.
An Angry Elephant
The elephant was trying to dig something
He realized she was sifting through the dirt. The elephant braced herself by burying her trunk in a large ditch with her back legs. She worked quickly, removing as much mud as she could from the hole. But Jitendra was baffled as to why the elephant was acting in this manner.
The Elephant Was Trying To Dig Something
Digging for 11 hours straight!
She took a few steps back now and then, clearly exhausted. Then, she repeated the process over and over, digging for 11 hours in a row! She dug so hard from dusk to dawn that the majority of her herd abandoned her. What exactly was going on?
Digging For 11 Hours Straight!
An elephant on a mission
Elephants spend a significant portion of their day searching for food and water to feed their enormous appetites. They are hygienic animals who bathe daily. Elephants only get 4 to 5 hours of sleep per day. However, this elephant did not engage in any of the usual elephant activities. This one, on the other hand, was on a mission…
An Elephant On A Mission
Making a plan
The elephant refused to give up digging. Even if the elephant wore herself out, the situation remained dangerous. Jitendra was well aware that they needed to devise a strategy to frighten the elephant into investigating the hole. He gathered with the other villagers for a brainstorming session. They knew what they needed to do after a half-hour of debating. As a result, they awoke and went to work!
Making A Plan
Elephant dinner time
To distract the elephant, they drove trucks full of delicious food. The trucks were loaded with bananas and other tasty treats for the elephant. For a long time, the elephant had not eaten. So they were confident that this would assist in moving the elephant out of the way. All they had to do now was wait for ‘elephant dinner time.’
Elephant Dinner Time
Hungry or not hungry?
In a single day, an adult elephant can consume up to 300 pounds of food. But that’s to be expected from the world’s largest land animal. Furthermore, this elephant hadn’t eaten in a long time. So the elephant would only need a few more hours to go looking for food. But she was adamant about not doing it. So what exactly was going on?
Hungry Or Not Hungry?
Showtime!
The elephant was exhausted to the point of collapsing on the ground. But, like a boxer recovering from a knockout, she rose to her feet. She began to notice all of the food around her after that. She had lost interest in the villagers and began walking towards the food trucks. It’s time for the villagers to investigate!
Showtime!
Inspection time
Finally, the elephant turned away from the hole and began eating from the food trucks. Finally, the villagers were able to examine the hole. But Jitendra knew that if everyone ran to the hole simultaneously, the elephant would be startled. As a result, he and a few other villagers walked calmly to the hole.
Inspection Time
It was her calf!
The villagers needed to proceed with caution because the elephant could be dangerous, and they didn’t know what was wrong. But as they got closer, they realized what had happened: her calf had gotten stuck in the muddy ditch!
It Was Her Calf!
Making the situation worse
Needless to say, the mother elephant aggravated the situation by digging. She was actually pushing mud into the hole with her size and strength, potentially suffocating her baby. Finally, the villagers realized they were running out of time. By attempting to dig her out, the elephant risked killing her own baby. Something had to be done!
Making The Situation Worse
Would the baby elephant survive?
The villagers were well aware of the dangers that awaited them if they left the animals alone—the baby elephant would either suffocate or starve to death. But, worried as they were, what else could they do?
Would The Baby Elephant Survive
Being very careful
It wasn’t as simple as grabbing the baby elephant by his legs or trunk and pulling him out of the hole to save him. The mother was almost certainly not going to let them near her child. So the villagers had to think outside the box—and be cautious.
Being Very Careful
Catching it on camera
Jitendra Tiwari recorded the entire ordeal and later recounted the villagers’ rescue efforts. The villagers first drove a few banana trucks up to the ditch and scared the mother away…
Catching It On Camera
Removing the sand
“We used [that] time to remove the heap of sand deposited near the well that was making it difficult for her to rescue the baby,” Jitendra said, while the mother elephant was at a safe distance away. But would it work?
Removing The Sand
Returning to her calf
The villagers then moved the banana truck away from the hole, allowing the mother elephant to return to the hole and retrieve her calf. She could now work on level ground without kicking any more mud into the well… So they hoped, at least.
Returning To Her Calf
She saved the calf!
The mother elephant was finally able to wrap her trunk around her mud-splattered baby after an 11-hour struggle. Then, she dragged her young calf to safety with a few good heaves. Finally, the villagers’ and mother’s efforts appeared to have paid off!
She Saved The Calf!
A loving reunion
The mother elephant could finally relax now that her calf was back on solid ground. The two pachyderms even walked away with their trunks entwined, according to villager reports! That was akin to an elephant kissing someone.
A Loving Reunion
Going back to the herd
The mother and her calf walked away from the village side by side, ready to rejoin the rest of their herd now that the ordeal was over. These two would undoubtedly never forget the villagers who came to their aid!
Going Back To The Herd
Spotted something strange
It goes without saying that when there’s trouble on the water, you want naval officers on the scene—and this was certainly the case when sailors off the coast of Sri Lanka recently spotted a strange shape in the water.
Spotted Something Strange
They didn’t expect this to happen
A Sri Lankan naval vessel was performing a series of practice maneuvers in the ocean in July 2017. The officers had not anticipated that their drills would turn into a real-life emergency, but it did.
They Didn’t Expect This To Happen
They notice an odd shape
The sailors noticed a strange shape struggling beneath the surface as they moved deeper into the water. So they veered off course, curious, to see if they could assist. But, unfortunately, they were completely unaware of what they were about to embark on…
They Notice An Odd Shape
It was struggling in the water
They were stunned when they got close to the object: the strange shape struggling in the water was an elephant! The poor animal had gotten himself into a situation where he was swimming for his life more than nine miles out in the open sea.
It Was Struggling In The Water
They sprang into action
The crew jumped into action right away, plotting the best course of action for rescuing the stranded elephant. They also immediately notified the Department of Wildlife. They weren’t animal experts, after all, and they’d need every bit of assistance they could get…
They Sprang Into Action
It was a tricky task
With no time to waste, the sailors moved as close to the struggling elephant as they could safely get so that they could secure him with ropes. It was a difficult task; no one wanted to upset the animal or put him in any further danger than he was already in.
It Was A Tricky Task
He led the way
This valiant officer took the lead. He dove into the water, putting his life on the line to tie a rope around the frantic creature. But, unfortunately, even though the elephant was clearly in distress, he was still capable of injuring the officer.
He Led The Way
They need to be careful
The officers needed to work as quickly as possible, but they also needed to work as carefully as possible. Despite being able to breathe, the elephant was thrashing around in the water—and the ocean was rough. Finally, the officers secured the boat by tying the ropes to it.
They Need To Be Careful
He got caught up
The ship slowly returned to shallow waters, dragging the elephant behind it. Nobody knew how the poor creature ended up so far out at sea, though some speculated that he was probably swept away by a strong current.
He Got Caught Up
Their actions were critical
Although the officers’ actions were critical to the elephant’s rescue, they wouldn’t be able to call the mission a success until the animal was safely handed over to the Department of Wildlife’s experts…
Their Actions Were Critical
The Department of Wildlife took over
The Department of Wildlife took over after the rescue portion of the mission was completed. “Having safely guided the elephant to the Yan Oya area in Pulmodai, the animal was handed over to the wildlife officials for onward action.”
The Department Of Wildlife Took Over
Not uncommon to find them there
Elephants wandering into the surf for a dip in the cool, refreshing water is not uncommon, believe it or not. Unfortunately for this pachyderm, the situation deteriorated as soon as he ventured too far from the shore.
Not Uncommon To Find Them There
It was more than he could chew
It may seem unbelievable, but elephants have been known to swim even further than this elephant’s nine-mile journey! This one, on the other hand, clearly bit off more than he could chew.
It Was More Than He Could Chew
A strange sight while on a boat
When swimming in deeper water, elephants have been known to use their trunks as snorkels. They look like they’re in a Looney Tunes cartoon! Can you imagine seeing this strange sight while sailing across the ocean on a boat?
A Strange Sight While On A Boat
Maybe they wanted to take a vacation?
Elephants are thought to be closely related to another water-loving animal, the manatee, according to biologists. Elephants may have first arrived in Sri Lanka by swimming, according to some researchers. So isn’t it possible that this goofy guy was looking for a place to relax?
Maybe They Wanted To Take A Vacation?
They definitely needed help
Nonetheless, this was a situation in which an elephant desperately needed assistance. “[Elephants] can’t keep swimming for long because they burn a lot of energy,” explained a representative from the Department of Wildlife. “And the salt water isn’t good for their skin, so in this case, the situation probably warranted human intervention.”
They Definitely Needed Help
It was a popular spot for elephants
Of course, it is possible that this elephant was attempting to cross Kokkilai Lagoon, a popular spot for elephants when he was swept out into more treacherous waters by the current from the open ocean.
It Was A Popular Spot For Elephants
They flock to watch them cross the waters
Asian elephants have been observed traveling short distances through water. Indeed, tourists frequently congregate to witness elephants cross the waters that separate India and Myanmar. It’s quite a sight.
The Flock To Watch Them Cross The Waters
What mattered was they’re safe
What caused this elephant to be dragged out to sea was irrelevant; what was critical was that naval officers and the Department of Wildlife could safely return the elephant to his family on dry land!
What Mattered Was They’re Safe
Learning a valuable lesson
After all, was said and done, the sailors would never forget their encounter with the lovable elephant, whom they had dubbed Jumbo. Hopefully, Jumbo has learned a valuable lesson and will avoid strong currents in the future!
Learning A Valuable Lesson