PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Nainital
A few days after a video clip of a leopard carcass floating in a flooded river went viral on social media, two elephants were seen temporarily losing their balance in the Kosi river in Kumaon. The consistent rains across the State has flooded the rivers, making it challenging even for adept swimmers like elephants to cross a river in spate.
The rivers and streams in Nainital district are raging due to the consistent rain in upper reaches and foothills. Villagers in the Mohaan-Kumeria area of Ramnagar shot a video reportedly on Tuesday, which shows two elephants struggling to cross the river.
The villagers can be heard expressing concern and encouraging the pachyderms as the duo temporarily appear to lose footing in the strong current and flow with the current for a few metres. It appeared as if the adept swimmers known to swim across islands in the sea would be carried away by the river in spate. However, the elephants soon regain control and then reach the bank.
Elephants swimming across the Ganga and other rivers in the State is a common sight but the pachyderms struggling to cross a river is a rare sight not known to have been captured on video so far in Uttarakhand. Forest department officials state that the Kosi river always floods during the monsoon, which also poses challenges for the wildlife.
The officials have appealed to the public to maintain a safe distance from rivers and water bodies during inclement weather while also staying away from wild animals.
