MALAPPURAM: A heartwarming video of a baby elephant struggling to climb a roadside barrier in the Nadukani ghat road (near the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border) went viral on social media on Friday.
In the nearly one-minute-long clip shot by a cycling enthusiast Anish Kata, a baby elephant is seen struggling for almost a minute to climb a roadside barrier. But, soon the mother comes to the rescue of the baby elephant as it gives a helping 'trunk' to climb over the human-made barrier.
In the beginning of the video there are three elephants - two adults and a baby - crossing the concrete barrier to head to the forest. However, the baby elephant was too short to reach over the barricade.
"It was a hugely touching scene. It was like seeing a mother taking care of a child. Not much traffic was there at that time because of the lockdown," Anish Kata told the media.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, posting the video on his social media page, cited the significance of the infrastructure that is friendly to wildlife.
"A video from Kerala that shows why our infrastructure should be constructed with utmost thought and concern for wildlife. Appreciate the kindness of the truck drivers who waited till the elephants passed and didn't add more to their anxiety," he wrote in the post expressing his concern over the infrastructure that doesn't suit wildlife and appreciated the sensible reaction of the truck driver who was present at the spot of the incident.