{
  "id": 16659717,
  "title": "Heart-wrenching footage from Kerala: Mother elephant’s desperate bid to save fallen calf ends in tragedy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/heart-wrenching-footage-from-kerala-mother-elephants-desperate-bid-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-26T20:02:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/heart-wrenching-footage-from-kerala-mother-elephants-desperate-bid-to-save-fallen-calf-ends-in-tragedy-1.500724671"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a tragic event captured on CCTV in Kerala's Wayanad district, a herd of wild elephants showed desperate efforts to rescue a fallen calf that tumbled down a 100-foot gorge. Despite the adults' frantic attempts, the young elephant was found dead, sparking widespread concern after the video went viral on social media. The incident occurred on Sunday near Muthumari, Kattikkulam, close to Mananthavady, on the forest's edge. The footage, retrieved from a nearby plantation and posted online, shows the calf falling and its mother and other elephants frantically trying to reach it. Their loud trumpeting can be heard as the herd appears to respond to the calf's distress. The North Wayanad Forest Division's Rapid Response Team arrived on Sunday but could not approach the calf because the herd had gathered around it. Forest personnel returned on Monday with a team from the Begur Forest Range and managed to move the elephants away, allowing them to reach the calf, which was discovered dead. The carcass was later taken to a deeper part of the forest and buried. Such incidents highlight elephants' instinctive response to calf deaths, with mothers often remaining beside their deceased or injured offspring to prevent humans from getting close. Similar cases have been reported in other countries, such as Malaysia and Bangladesh, where mother elephants have stayed with their dead or injured calves. Wildlife officials caution that approaching a distressed herd can be dangerous due to protective behavior, emphasizing the need for trained professionals to manage such situations.",
  "summary": "Heartbreaking CCTV footage from Kerala’s Wayanad district has captured a herd of wild elephants desperately trying to reach a calf that rolled down a steep plantation slope. Despite the adults’ frantic efforts, the young elephant was later found dead, in an incident that has drawn widespread attention after the video circulated on social media. The incident occurred on Sunday at Muthumari,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}