A dog swept away by flooding in the Budhi Gandaki River has been rescued after 20 days.
The dog belonged to Dayaram Karki, a resident of Thado Bharyang, Dharche Rural Municipality-1, in Gorkha district. It was swept away by the Budhi Gandaki flood on October 11.
Karki had three dogs. One of them, a white dog named Seti, was spotted last Wednesday on the far bank of the river at Jagat Bagar, near the boundary between Jagat in Chumanubri Rural Municipality-3 and Thado Bharyang in Dharche Rural Municipality-1.
Seti could not cross an overflowing channel of the Budhi Gandaki to reach the Jagat side, while local residents were unable to reach the place where it was stranded. The dog was hungry, and there was no food available where it was stranded.
Karki and local youths tried to get food to the dog but could not get biscuits across the river to reach it.
There was a sheer cliff on one side of the spot where the dog was stranded and a channel of the Budhi Gandaki River on the other.
With the initiative and support of Chumanubri Rural Municipality, the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Services Office in Gorkha, and other government agencies, as well as organizations including Animal Nepal and Gorkha Jaycees, a kayaking and rafting team rescued the dog.
The rescue was completed after three consecutive days of efforts, Chumanubri Rural Municipality Chairman Nima Lama told Setopati.
"It was drizzling, and the Budhi Gandaki was raging. A team including Ram Silwal and Arun Thapaliya from Royal Beach Camp in Dhading ventured into the swollen river and rescued the dog. I thank them," Lama told Setopati.
Silwal's team traveled from Dhading carrying kayaks to the Jagat Bagar area. Seti was rescued by placing it in a kayak and bringing it across the river.
Chairman Lama also honored the rescue team by placing traditional khadas (ceremonial scarves) around their necks as a gesture of gratitude.
"After 20 days, Seti also reunited with its owner, Dayaram, at Jagat Bagar," he said. "I put a khada around Seti's neck and wished it a long life."
Initially, efforts were made to rescue the dog by helicopter. Tourism entrepreneur and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chumanubri President Dhawa Gyalzen Lama, local resident Birbal Ghale, rural municipality chairman Lama, and others took the initiative. However, flight permission issues and unfavorable weather forced them to seek an alternative.
Animal Nepal had also been preparing to assist with a helicopter rescue. When that proved impossible, the organization helped arrange a kayaking and rafting team to carry out the rescue.
"After being stranded for more than two weeks, Seti has finally made it home," Animal Nepal said. "This rescue was made possible through courage, compassion, and an incredible collective effort. One life has been brought to safety and reunited with its family, while another rescue remains."
Goats remain stranded in the forest on the opposite bank of the river at Jagat Bagar. They have also been unable to cross the Budhi Gandaki and return to their sheds since the October 11 flood.
Chairman Lama said that the goats had been seen grazing in the forest and would be rescued in a few days.
"The dog’s rescue was possible through great effort. The goats are grazing in the forest, and we will rescue them within a few days. The dog was hungry, which made it necessary to rescue it quickly," he said. "The dog has been handed over to its owner."
