Agonising end for jumbo after trapped in pit for five days

NEW DELHI: An elephant that was knocked down by a speeding train and fell into a swampy pit in Assam's Karbi Anglong district died after remaining there for five days as all efforts to pull out the pachyderm from the muddy waters failed.

"The elephant (a female) died around one am Saturday," Assam's Chief Wildlife Warden M C Malakar said.

Malakar said a herd of about 20 elephants was crossing the railway tracks near Doldoli Forest Beat office under Rongapahar Range last Sunday night when the jumbo was hit by the train and fell into the pit.

"The elephant had broken its spinal cord and there was no way she could be brought outside. A giant crane was also hired to rescue the elephant but it was in vain," he said.

"At last, we had to engage workers to take the mud out of the pit but on Saturday midnight the elephant died a natural death," Malakar said, adding it was given food inside the pit.

A post-mortem conducted by officials of the state zoo and College of Veterinary Sciences found multiple injuries on the elephant's backbone, resulting in paralysis.

Doctors had also injected sedatives to relieve the elephant of its pain.

They were also mulling mercy killing. "It is very difficult to bring out such a huge animal from inside a 30 feet pit. So the doctors had thought of euthanasia as an option even consulted with experts," Malakar said.