The unusual and worrying sight in Numaligarh town of Assam’s Golaghat district has made local people fear the worst for a wild elephant with a tyre stuck around its neck. The elephant was seen moving around tea gardens and walking around the area in search of food.
Because a tyre around the elephant’s neck could restrict its movement or hurt it if it’s trapped for a long period of time, the sighting has worried local people and wildlife observers.
The elephant was seen moving through areas around Numaligarh, including near tea gardens. Wild elephants often move through forests and agricultural areas in search of food and water, and their journey into human-dominated areas can sometimes lead them to be very close to local communities.
Elephant seen around tea gardens.
The elephant was seen while moving around the tea garden, the report said. Its unusual look, with a tyre around its neck, caught the attention of people who saw it.
The reason the tyre became lodged around the elephant’s neck is still not clear. It is also not known where the elephant found the discarded tyre or how long it has been carrying it.
The incident highlights the risks of discarded materials in areas frequented by wildlife. Tyres, ropes, wires, and other waste can be hazardous when wild animals come into contact with them.
The elephant’s safety.
The elephant’s neck has been fitted with a tyre, and the elephant’s safety has been raised with concern. If the tyre size and position of the tyre can impact the animal’s movements, feeding, or normal behaviour, it may affect the animal’s movement, feeding, or normal behaviour. Contact with the material could also result in physical injury if it is prolonged.
Wild elephants travel long distances in search of food as food sources are scarce and no natural source is available on the planet. These elephants can move through tea gardens, agricultural fields, and other areas of the country near humans.
Such sightings are both fascinating to local people and worrying. A great deal of people are excited to see wild elephants, but not until professional help is in place can humans and the animal be endangered.
Wildlife officials may need to monitor the animal
The sighting will probably raise the awareness of forest and wildlife officials who may look at the elephant’s condition and decide if any intervention will be required.
If the tyre is firmly lodged and causing injury, wildlife personnel will have to figure out how to remove it. Rescue of a wild elephant should be done carefully and with a good deal of prior knowledge.
Authorities may also monitor the elephant’s movements so that they can see whether it remains in that area or goes back to the forest.
#WATCH | Assam: A wild elephant spotted in Numaligarh town of Golaghat district with a tyre around its neck. The elephant, seemingly roaming around in search of food, was spotted near tea gardens. pic.twitter.com/UUW3fxBnaX
— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2026
This is another reminder of human-wildlife issues.
And that’s not all because of the elephant’s habitat. As human settlements, plantations and agricultural areas expand around traditional animal movement routes, people and wildlife will encounter much more common problems.
Elephants moving through human-dominated landscapes can sometimes damage crops or property, while the animals themselves are threatened by traffic and electric infrastructure, waste, and other human activities.
The tyre incident underlines the importance of responsible waste disposal in areas located close to wildlife habitats and elephant movement corridors. Even ordinary discarded objects can be dangerous when encountered by wild animals.
Residents are told to keep a safe distance from the elephant and not disturb it. Wildlife experts generally advise people not to surround, chase, provoke, or photograph wild elephants from close range.
The unusual sighting in Numaligarh once again highlighted the close relationship between people and wildlife in Assam. The elephant’s safety and the threat to residents and people from any human encounter with it are now the absolute top priority. A further investigation will be needed to determine the animal’s welfare and the possibility of the tyre being removed safely.
