Forest officials in West Bengal’s Bagdogra have won praise on social media after they halted traffic on a busy road to safely guide a herd of wild elephants across. A video of the incident shows the elephants crossing the road one after another as vehicles wait for them to pass. Personnel from the Kurseong Forest Division can be seen managing traffic and preventing vehicles from moving forward until the herd has crossed safely.

The video was shared on X by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who described the scene as an example of coexistence between humans and wildlife. The video has highlighted the importance of patience and responsible behaviour in areas where roads pass through wildlife habitats. Rather than rushing through the crossing, motorists waited as the animals made their way across.

The minister wrote, “Coexistence on display. Foot soldiers of the forest stop traffic to allow a safe passage to elephants in Bagdogra, West Bengal. That’s how we protect people and wildlife together.”

See the post here:

Coexistence on display 🐘 Foot soldiers of the forest stop traffic to allow a safe passage to elephants in Bagdogra, West Bengal. That’s how we protect people and wildlife together. https://t.co/EkFdGaBysK

— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) October 11, 2026

The heartwarming sight has drawn attention online, with users appreciating the forest personnel for ensuring the safety of both the elephants and commuters. Several social media users praised the forest officials for their timely intervention and stressed the need to protect wildlife corridors. T

One user wrote, “We should build dedicated wildlife underpasses or overpasses so that vehicles can pass without disrupting the natural movement of elephants. Infrastructure must adapt to wildlife, not force wildlife to adapt to infrastructure.” 

Another commented, “Sight to behold.” A third stated, “Wow!! It really takes a village.”

Another Video Shows Forest Guard Alerting Train

In a similar incident highlighting efforts to protect elephants, a video shared by Indian Forest Service officer Parveen Kaswan showed a forest guard waving a red cloth to alert an approaching train as a herd of elephants crossed railway tracks. The guard’s intervention helped avert a potential collision between the train and the animals.

“This is how heroes look like in real life. See how Akash Kerketta, a forest staff of Kurseong division averted a major accident. Sikkim Mahananda train was coming on Bagdogra-Naxalbari Route. Due to timely intervention of forest staff and train pilots elephant herd was saved,” Kaswan wrote. 

This is how heroes look like in real life. See how Akash Kerketta, a forest staff of Kurseong division averted a major accident. Sikkim Mahananda train was coming on Bagdogra-Naxalbari Route. Due to timely intervention of forest staff and train pilots elephant herd was saved. https://t.co/LFhQY9QR8p

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) October 11, 2026

Both incidents underline the role of forest personnel in preventing accidents and ensuring that wildlife can move safely through areas shared with people.