AN ELEPHANT’S COMPASSION

(A true story)

In 2014, a male elephant in West Bengal’s Purulia district destroyed a house. But as it turned to leave, a sound stopped it in its tracks – the cry of a baby trapped beneath the rubble. According to the Times of India, the elephant turned back and “carefully removed every last bit of stone, brick and mortar from the infant’s body before heading back to the forest”.

The child’s father, Dipak Mahato, said they were having dinner when they suddenly heard a “cracking sound” and then a huge crash from the bedroom. “We ran over and were shocked to see the wall in pieces and a tusker standing over our baby. She was crying and there were huge chunks of the wall lying all around, and on the cot,” he said. “The tusker started moving away but when our child started crying again, it returned and used its trunk to remove the debris.”

The baby’s mother, Lalita Mahato, said, “I can’t believe that the tusker saved my daughter after breaking down the door and smashing a wall. We watched amazed as it gently removed the debris that had fallen on her.”

The elephant’s actions, after it had seemingly caused damage, were considered a remarkable act of compassion. The 10-month-old baby was freed – alive and unharmed.

Elephants are known to stray into areas near human settlements due to habitat loss and other factors, leading to human-elephant conflicts. The above case is one example of man-elephant conflict that had been rising in the district because of change in land-use pattern that had blocked the elephants’ traditional migration routes.

The elephant’s behaviour is a poignant reminder that we are not the only species capable of compassion. Animals have a heart, too. As for elephants, despite their great size, they are gentle creatures with a caring nature.