TURA, Jan 17: The presence of a herd of wild elephants at Wakagre near Tura has led to rumuors circulating on social media on Sunday that a female from among the herd had given birth at the spot.
A video of a herd of wild elephants grazing in the distance was shot by a user and uploaded on social media. While no mention of any elephant giving birth was made in the video, the video was shared along with a caption by some WhatApp users, claiming that the birth had taken place at the spot.
Herd of elephants are known to linger at the place to ensure that the newborn has enough strength to travel with the herd. With the Tura Garobadha road lying in close proximity to the spot, groups in WhatsApp were flooded with alerts urging travelers to exercise caution.
When contacted, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner, Ram Singh, was unable to confirm the rumours. A veterinary official also denied having any knowledge of an elephant giving birth at the spot. “We know that babies are among the herd in the area. However, there is no confirmation that any birth took place there,” the official said.