Indian forest rangers rescue rhino calf from drowning in flash flood
Forest rangers battled it out to save a rhino calf from drowning in a flash flood in northern India.
Footage captured on July 16 shows six men - five on a boat and another on a bamboo raft - trying to get the rhino calf out of the floodwater.
The incident took place at the Kaziranga National Park in the northeast Indian state of Assam.
The calf is seen completely submerged underwater and kicks its feet in panic as soon as the rescue officials approach it.
All the five men seem to be trying their best to rescue the visibly shaken calf who is not used to being around humans.
Four men on the boat try to get hold of the drowning animal, while another person on a bamboo raft gets hold of the calf's ear and draws it near the raft.
One of the men on the boat then releases an inflatable tube to rescue the rhino calf.
Two other men are seen holding the boat firmly during the rescue operations.
It was quite an arduous task as the rhino calf weighed around 170 pounds.
More than 90 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park has been inundated in a deadly deluge.
Spread across the Golaghat and Nagaon districts, Kaziranga National Park is home to tigers, elephants and the world’s largest population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses.
More than 20 animals have died and over one million affected in the deadly deluge since July 13.
Apart from rhinoceroses, animals, including, deer, tigers and elephants were seen moving towards the neighbouring Karbi Anglong hills.
As animals rush to the hills, many have been hit by vehicles in the past while crossing the National Highway 37 that passes through Kaziranga.
Meanwhile, the state Forest and Environment Minister Sailesh Sande said that the government has taken all precautionary measures to ensure that flood this year does not cause much damage to living creatures.
At least 20 people have been killed and over 5.2 million others were affected by the deadly floods.
Over 150,000 people have moved to relief centres all across the state.
