New Delhi, Oct 12, 2026 14:42 ISTA herd of wild elephants was given a safe passage across a busy road in West Bengal’s Bagdogra, after forest officials stopped traffic to let the animals cross without disturbance. The heartwarming moment has gone viral as viewers appreciated the team’s efforts to ensure the safety of both wildlife and commuters.
The incident was shared on X by Union Cabinet Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav. The post featured a video showing personnel from the Kurseong Forest Division stepping in to manage traffic as the elephants made their way across the road.
The personnel created a barrier to prevent vehicles from moving forward while the herd crossed the highway. The accompanying pictures captured the majestic animals making their way across as onlookers watched and filmed the incredibly rare sight on their phones. The officials remained alert, ensuring that the animals could cross without being disturbed by approaching vehicles.
Yadav shared the video with a message celebrating the efforts of forest personnel and the importance of protecting wildlife alongside people, noting that it was a display of coexistence where foot soldiers of the forest stop traffic to allow safe passage.
The incident offered a glimpse of how timely intervention by forest officials can help reduce the risk of human-wildlife conflict, particularly in areas where roads pass through elephant habitats.
This event came amid another recent example of forest personnel helping protect elephants in West Bengal. In a video shared on X by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan, a forest guard was seen waving a red cloth to alert an approaching train as a herd of elephants crossed railway tracks, helping avert a potential collision.
Both occurrences highlighted the critical role that frontline forest personnel play in safeguarding wildlife in landscapes increasingly shared by human communities and animals.