This is the moment an entire herd of blackbucks, an endangered species of Indian deer is swept away by flood waters. <br /><br />But luckily, they were all rescued and given safe passage to dry land, said Indian forest officials. <br /><br />The incident occurred in Ganjam district, Odisha, India, on July 14. <br /><br />Heavy rains triggered a flash flood in a forest in the Purushottampur area of the district. A powerful current of water swept away a herd of black bucks, which were grazing in the Kharkhari canal.<br /><br />Local villagers saw the animals being carried away by the flood and alerted forest officials who rushed to the area to try to rescue the animals. <br /><br />Many of the black bucks managed to find dry ground in their own and a few had to be pulled out. All the nearly 50 animals in the herd were rescued and sent back to the forest.<br /><br />A senior forest official Dr Sandip Tripathy said: “The forest staff and local people gave safe passage to stranded animals and helped them reach dry land.”<br /><br />“Forest officials are on alert in the area to help other stranded animals,” he added.
