A wild mother elephant has been seriously injured after falling from a hill about 300 feet high in Teknaf, Cox's Bazar. The skin under her belly has been slightly torn.

The incident happened at about 3pm on 11 July in ward 1 of the Naitongpara area of Teknaf municipality.

The forest department believes the elephant slipped while eating vines and leaves on the hill and fell down a deep slope. She was seriously injured and has not been able to stand up since.

Local people who saw the injured elephant informed the forest department. Forest officials reached the spot and began a rescue operation, and a veterinary doctor is giving her first aid.

Teknaf range officer Abdur Rashid said a forest department team reached the scene as soon as it was informed and a veterinary doctor was treating the elephant. He hopes she can recover if she is given intensive care and treatment for a few days.

Teknaf upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) SM Anik Chowdhury said: "The elephant was seriously injured after falling from the hill. She is now lying on the ground and can move only very slightly. It is believed she has suffered a serious injury to her belly."

He added: "A team of experienced vets from Dulahazara Safari Park has reached the scene to treat her. Once she has recovered, she will be released into the forest on the advice of experts. If necessary, she will be sent to Dulahazara Safari Park for treatment and rehabilitation."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.