COIMBATORE: A video of two elephants helping a calf cross a solar fence at Narasipuram, on the outskirts of Coimbatore, has gone viral. The video shows five elephants that came to a farmland in search of food and water. While two crossed the solar fence first, two could be seen flattening the fence for the calf to pass.
The voices of villagers can also be heard in the video where they express compassion for the herd, especially the calf. Wildlife activists and animal lovers feel the public’s approach to wild animals has changed. In the video, a woman from the village can be heard saying the baby elephant is a newborn (pachapulla) and is part of her family.
Additional Chief Secretary to government, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Supriya Sahu shared the video on Twitter and said: “Z class security for adorable Kutty (baby) elephants by the elephant family. I can hear villagers say empathetically ‘let the kutty go’..absolutely heartwarming.”According to T Saravanan, Boluvampatti forest range officer,
“The herd of wild elephants entered the farmland on Friday night. The farmland is only three km from the Narasipuram forest. Our staff visited the spot and diverted the animals to the forest. However, they returned to the farmland on Saturday. Our staff diverted them using crackers and horns. He added that there was not much damage to the crop and properties.