The Indian wild elephant that entered Bangladesh floating with the currents of the Brahmaputra river has travelled over 300 kilometres of riverine routes and visited around 19 chars in the last 38 days.

A three-member Indian team along with some forest officials of Bangladesh yesterday went to Jamalpur's Sarishabari upazila where the animal is now staying. The team arrived in Bangladesh on Wednesday to rescue and bring the animal back to Assam from where it came.

The officials, however, are finding it difficult to rescue the elephant, weighing around four tonnes, from the flood-hit char (shoal) area in Jamalpur.

They followed the elephant, which crossed around 15 kilometres of flooded terrain in Botbaria and Kandarpara char areas in Sarishabari, throughout the day yesterday.

“It was very hard to go near the elephant as it was continuously wading through floodwater. But we followed the elephant for almost 15 kilometres. They [the Indian officials] are yet to figure out how to rescue it,” said Wildlife Inspector Ashim Kumar Mallick of the forest department.

He is one of the members of a 17-member team, including forest and veterinary officials, which has been monitoring the elephant for the last 15 days.

“But it would not be possible to tranquillise the animal until it reaches dry land,” Ashim said.

The officials are now thinking of three possible ways to bring the elephant back home -- carrying it by a jumbo helicopter, by a vessel or a truck. If they want to carry it by a chopper, they would have to arrange a special helicopter, which the Assamese government would have to borrow from the central government, said another forest official, citing the Indian officials.

“But they need more time to observe the elephant before making any decision,” he said.

The members of the Indian team are Goalpara district Forest Officer Suleman Uddin Choudhury, retired conservator of forests Rithesh Chandra Bhattacharjee and veterinary professor KK Sarma, said Gobinda Roy, divisional forest officer (DFO), Mymensingh.

“The team will first examine the ground situation on how to rescue the elephant safely and then go for rescue operation,” the DFO added.

The wild elephant got separated from her herd in Assam and entered Kurigram's Chilmari upazila, floating with the currents of the Brahmaputra, on June 27.

From then on, it was seen frantically moving from one place to another.

(Our Jamalpur correspondent contributed to the story.)