IWN Report — Friday, 9 October 2026

Twenty-four people, from Forest Department staff and local fishers to the gateman at the Teesta Barrage, received Gaja Mitra Awards in Siliguri on 7 October for helping rescue an elephant calf swept away by the Teesta River, with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) using Wildlife Week to thank them in person.

According to WTI, the awards recognised timely intervention, courage and contribution to the rescue, which took place on 21 September 2026. The calf was pulled to safety and reunited with its family. WTI’s account mentions five fishers among the honoured, alongside forest personnel and the barrage gateman.

The ceremony was held at the Nature Interpretation Centre in Bengal Safari, Siliguri, in West Bengal. WTI organised it with the Baikunthapur Forest Division and the Nature and Wildlife Association (NWA), as part of WTI’s Gaj Utsav campaign. The divisional forest officer welcomed guests, and the director of Bengal Safari, attending as special guest, spoke about coordination between the Forest Department, local communities, frontline staff and conservation groups.

The Rescue

WTI’s head of natural heritage campaigns told the gathering that conservation often depends on quick decisions, and credited the boatmen’s fast response and the coordination between the Forest Department and frontline teams for the outcome.

Bablu Das, one of the fishers who was felicitated, said he was happy the calf had been rescued and that the team had felt it was their duty to help it get back to its mother.

NWA also ran an interactive session on human–elephant conflict, covering elephant behaviour, ways of reducing conflict, community participation and coexistence.

Sources: Wildlife Trust of India