Elephant spotted with tractor Tyre stuck around neck in Assam, rescued after hours
A wild elephant was spotted wandering through a tea garden in Bokial, Numaligarh, with a tractor tyre lodged around its neck, an unusual sighting that has left residents worried about the animal’s welfare.
The elephant was seen on Thursday moving through the forest block in Morongi, an area in Assam’s Golaghat district that has seen repeated instances of human-elephant altercations.
It appeared to be searching for food as it made its way through the tea garden, and photographs of the animal with the tyre around its neck have since drawn wide attention.
Forest officials believe the tyre, thought to be from a tractor, was likely abandoned in the forest and then picked up out of curiosity by the elephant using its trunk, before slipping around its neck.
Khumtai MLA Mrinal Saikia said he had informed senior forest department officials about the sighting, after which a team was sent to the location.
Saikia appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid approaching or disturbing the elephant, noting that it was “already in an uncomfortable condition.”
The Assam Forest Department’s frontline team later managed to remove the tyre and free the elephant after hours of painstaking effort.
Meanwhile, IAS officer Supriya Sahu also shared the development on X, calling the rescue “a relief” and highlighting the risks posed by discarded waste and abandoned items in areas frequented by wildlife.
“The incident also spotlights how discarded waste and abandoned items in and around forest areas can turn deadly for wildlife,” Sahu wrote, while praising the rescuers.
The successful intervention came after the elephant had been spotted moving through the tea garden with the tyre around its neck.
The animal was eventually freed, ending what could have become a potentially dangerous situation for the wild elephant.
The sight raised concerns about the elephant’s safety, particularly as the heavy tyre could have restricted its movement and caused injuries.
