Lucknow: Two days after a herd of five elephants was successfully rescued from the strong currents of Kaudiyala river in Bahraich, their video went viral on Thursday as the one from Nepal.Many social media users who shared the video claimed that the elephants got swept away in Nepal flash flood and were rescued on reaching Bahraich in UP. The users admired the “brave elephants” for staying afloat in floods and safely reaching India.Among those who shared the video were some senior administrative officials too.After the video went viral, Katarniaghat wildlife division of the forest department, which had successfully rescued the herd on Tuesday, clarified that the incident had no link with the flash flood in Nepal.“The elephants were rescued on Tuesday while the flash floods in Nepal happened a day after,” said DFO, Katarniaghat, Apurv Dikshit.“No direct impact of flash floods in Nepal has been observed in Katarniaghat wildlife division. Our team, however, is on high alert. We are maintaining continuous surveillance,” he said.The elephants, three adults and two calves, which were rescued from the strong currents of Kaudiyala river on Tuesday were not from Nepal, but a breakaway group of elephants from a larger herd in Katarniaghat.Though elephants are natural swimmers, the high intensity water currents of Kaudiyala made it tough for the calves to stay afloat.It was after the irrigation department closed the gates of Girjapuri barrage in Bahraich and intensity of the currents got reduced, that the elephants were made to move away from the barrage through ‘hanka’ (coordinated calls and sounds made to chase animals away to push them back to forest).The rescue team said that the three adults might have been the females, as the herds of elephants are matrilineal and led by a matriarch.“Elephants have retreated to safer parts of Katarniaghat forest. Through drones, we have also located the herd from which the five could have broken away. The five may not be very far from their original herd and may unite with it naturally,” he said.Though there is no flood like situation in Katarniaghat, the Kaudiyala river, which is upstream of Ghaghara, is currently flowing at a high speed. The river flows through Nepal and Katarniaghat, and merges with Girwa in the downstream to flow as Ghaghara in Bahraich.Gharial, smooth-coated otter rescuedLucknow/Bahraich: Two wildlife rescue operations were successfully conducted at Girjapuri Barrage of Katarniaghat Wlidlife Sanctuary on Thursday amid strong river currents due to water being released from Nepal.A gharial and a smooth-coated otter were rescued in two different operations in Katarniaghat range.“In the first operation early Thursday morning, we received the information that a gharial had flowed out of Kaudiyala river due to strong, fast-flowing currents and strayed into a crowded irrigation campus area. After cordoning off the crowd, the team guided the gharial back into the water using non-invasive methods, ensuring both public safety and zero harm to the animal,” DFO, Katarniaghat, Apurv Dikshit, said.In another rescue operation, a smooth-coated otter was washed downstream by the swift currents and got stuck near the Girjapuri barrage. “The otter was stuck on the barrage with fast flowing currents underneath. Had it drifted further, it would have permanently separated from its group. Our team rescued it safely,” he said.It was then placed in a bag and transported to a suitable natural habitat, where it was safely released back into the forest.
