Veterinary Team Treats Wild Elephant Caught in Snare Trap in Assam's Raimona National Park

A wild elephant in western Assam has received veterinary treatment for a serious injury caused by a wire snare trap. The 25-year-old female, accompanied by her calf, was first spotted by forest guards on September 1 near the Daogen Gonthong anti-poaching camp on the fringes of Raimona National Park.

The camp is located in the Sanfan Range of the Kachugaon Forest Division, along the India-Bhutan border. Following the initial sighting, forest guards tracked the elephant's movements for several days to plan a safe intervention.

A joint veterinary team was assembled after the elephant was sighted near the camp again on September 7. The team included Prabhat Basumatary, Forest Veterinary Officer for Manas Tiger Reserve; Daoharu Baro from the Wildlife Trust of India; and Pankaj Chakraborty, a veterinary officer based in Gossaigaon.

The elephant was chemically immobilised to allow for a thorough examination. The entire procedure was completed in about 30 minutes, after which the animal was guided back into the forest.

Dr. Baro explained that the elephant had sustained a deep cut on her trunk from a tightly embedded wire snare, which had caused significant soft-tissue injury and pus discharge. The team carefully removed the wire, cleaned the wound, removed dead tissue, applied antiseptic dressing, and provided appropriate wound management.

Sanfan Range Officer Biswajit Basumatary noted that snare traps are lethal devices that can cause severe lacerations, tissue damage, fractures, and prolonged suffering, potentially leading to death if the animal cannot free itself or receive timely treatment.

Mustafizur Ali Ahmed, Divisional Forest Officer of Kachugaon Forest Division, said officials will closely monitor the elephant over the coming days to assess her recovery. He added that the elephant may have encountered the snare in fringe areas and that measures are being taken to prevent similar incidents.