ERODE: A female elephant got trapped in slush at the Gunderipallam dam near Gobichettipalayam in Erode district, prompting a major rescue operation by forest and fire service personnel on Sunday.Wild animals have been frequently entering the dam vicinity in search of drinking water due to acute water scarcity in the forest. The water level in the Gunderipallam dam, located in the T N Palayam forest range, has dropped in recent weeks. In the early hours of Sunday, a female elephant that came to the dam to drink water got stuck in the slush in the exposed portion of the reservoir. “Unable to free itself, the animal struggled for several hours and was trumpeting in distress,” said a forest officer from the T N Palayam forest range.On being alerted by residents, officials and staff from the T N Palayam forest range and personnel from fire and rescue services rushed to the spot and launched rescue efforts.As the elephant had become exhausted after being trapped in the slush for several hours, teams began efforts to pull it out using ropes and an earthmover. However, the rescue operation suffered a setback when an earthmover deployed for the task got stuck in the muddy terrain. The incident delayed rescue operations.Forest authorities made alternative arrangements by bringing in another earthmover to rescue the elephant. A veterinary team from Sathyamangalam has been mobilised to provide medical assistance and monitor the elephant’s condition.
