Herd of elephants refuses to leave calf that fell into a ditch in India

An elephant calf died after accidentally slipping and falling into a ditch situated close to a human settlement.

The baby jumbo was walking with its herd in the late evening of February 13 to Mahipani village in the north-western state of Odisha, India.

It was reported that the locals tried to drive a herd of elephants away from entering the village following which the little pachyderm slipped into a trench dug near railway tracks.

In an attempt to help the fallen calf, the herd lingered around. The villagers came in with flashlights and burst firecrackers to scare them away. But it was in vain.

One of the tuskers threatened to run towards the mob while they started throwing stones at it. After hours of trial, the herd finally gave up and walked back into the forest.

Forest officials rushed to the spot to rescue the creature in distress but they couldn't help the calf in time as the rest of the herd stayed back infuriated by the locals who tried to shoo them away.

The area has been inspected by officials to figure out if there were any more pits or gaps left open by the railway department to avoid further accidents.