An injured pet elephant was rescued after falling into a ditch beside a railway track in the Shibbari area of South Surma upazila in Sylhet.
The rescue was carried out around 2pm on Sunday through a joint operation by the Fire Service, police, Forest Department and local administration.
The Sylhet Forest Department said preliminary findings suggest the elephant fell into the ditch after being hit by a train at some point on Saturday night.
After the rescue, the elephant was moved to a safe and clean location, where it is being given primary treatment.
Sylhet Divisional Forest Officer Mohammad Abdur Rahman said the elephant was pulled out of the ditch with the assistance of the Fire Service and local administration, adding that an initial assessment indicates it may have been struck by a train.
Firefighter Belal Ahmed of the Fire Service and Civil Defence Bangladesh South Surma station said an excavator and ropes were used to lift the elephant after coordinating with police and forest officials.
South Surma Assistant Commissioner Land Shihab Sarar Abhi said a medical team has been formed to monitor the elephant’s condition, noting that initial checks suggest a possible fracture to the rear or leg bones.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Railway Sylhet Station Manager Nurul Islam said reports were received in the morning about the elephant being injured after a collision with a train, but no official report had yet been received from the railway authorities.
