Officials of the tiger reserve in Palamu heaved a sigh of relief after an eight-year-old male elephant calf, rescued from a well, reunited with his herd, officials said.

The reunion took place on Saturday in the jungles of Morwai under the Chhipadohar west range of the Palamu Tiger Reserve.

It was worth watching this reunion of a baby elephant with his mother, said sources. 

He ran. He got into his mother's legs. The mother elephant too showed affection. There was joy writ large on their faces.

Kumar Ashish, the deputy director North division of PTR said the calf saw the herd and trumpeted which was reciprocated by the herd and then this reunion took place.

The herd welcomed the calf and the calf too respected the herd.

This male elephant calf had fallen into a well at Karampani, about three kilometers away from the Tat Ha hot water spring on Ashthami. It remained in the 15-feet-deep well for several hours.

Ashish said the trapped elephant was rescued with the help of saal tree poles after several hours of struggle.

Ashish said, “We had no clue as to for how many hours or days this calf remained in well or when exactly he fell in the well.”

He said the calf was getting fatigued and exhausted but looked hopeful of meeting his mother again.

Herds of elephants have their own way of welcoming the missing one.

The elephants move their tails, raise their trunks and keep standing too close to the new arrival just to express solidarity and warmth.

This herd did the same to this calf. The deputy director North division said, “We feel happy to find this rescued calf now walking down with his herd which has 3 males, two females and now two calves.”