Published Aug 19, 2025 | 12:26 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 19, 2025 | 12:26 PM
The elephant calf at government primary school in Chekadi.
Synopsis: A young elephant calf strayed into the premises government primary school in Wayanad. The calf is believed to have entered the campus around noon through a gap in the damaged boundary wall.
A government primary school in Chekadi, a forest-fringe settlement in the Wayanad district of Kerala, reported an unusual incident on Monday, 18 August, when a young elephant calf strayed into its premises.
Chekadi, situated about 14 km from Pulppalli on the Kerala–Karnataka border, is surrounded by forest on three sides and is home to a predominantly tribal community.
The Government LP School in the village, which also accommodates pre-primary classes, has an enrolment of around 115 students. Although elephant herds are known to pass through the area after dusk, it was the first time that a lone calf had entered the school compound.
The calf is believed to have entered the campus around noon through a gap in the damaged boundary wall.
Teachers promptly directed students into their classrooms and ensured their safety. As the calf remained calm and caused no disturbance, the situation was managed without difficulty.
The primary concern among the staff was the possibility of the herd following the calf into the premises. Forest department personnel from the Chedalath Range were soon deployed, and the animal was guided safely back towards the forest adjoining the school.
Officials estimated the calf to be less than a year old and expressed hope that it would reunite with its herd. The forest department has initiated monitoring along the forest border to facilitate this.
In the event that the herd rejects the calf due to human contact, officials stated that the department would assume responsibility for its care.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman.)
