This Lost Baby Elephant Was Reunited with Its Mother Using a Brilliant, Traditional Trick
In a beautiful display of both animal instinct and human compassion, forest officials in northeastern India successfully reunited a lost elephant calf with its mother—using nothing more than elephant dung.
The incident took place on July 5 in Kaziranga National Park, Assam, when a baby elephant, later nicknamed “Chotu,” became separated from its herd while crossing through the Veroni corridor near the village of Borjuri Basti.
The young calf, clearly distressed, was seen pacing around a forest patrol vehicle, sniffing and circling as if asking for help. Recognizing the urgency, forest officials from Kaziranga’s Agoratoli Range and the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) sprang into action.
After confirming that Chotu was in good health, the team came up with a clever and traditional idea to help the mother recognize her baby: they rubbed some of the mother’s dung onto the calf’s trunk and legs to mask the scent of humans.
It worked.
By 8:30 AM, after hours of searching, the mother elephant emerged from the forest, drawn by her calf’s soft trumpets. Thanks to the scent trick, she recognized and accepted her baby without hesitation. The two were seen walking off into the park together, followed by other members of the herd—believed to be close family.
One touching moment caught on video shows a forest officer gently encouraging the calf with the words: “Haan, jaa. Jaa, jaa, jaa” (Go ahead). The calf lets out a soft trumpet and steps toward its mother.
“This incident highlights the emotional intelligence of elephants and the remarkable coordination of our forest staff,” said Sonali Ghosh, Director of Kaziranga National Park. “It’s a success story rooted in compassion, patience, and traditional knowledge.”
Chotu’s safe return is more than a heartwarming reunion—it’s a reminder of the deep bonds animals share and the quiet brilliance of the people working to protect them.
