Rain lashed the Budhi Gandaki river as Ram Silwal and Arun Thapaliya paddled their kayaks toward a narrow strip of land where a dog had been trapped for 20 days. The animal, named Seti, had been stranded since the Oct 11 flash flood swept it away from its owner’s home in Thado Bharyang. By the time local authorities found it on Wednesday, it was isolated on a jagged rock ledge at Jagat Bagar, with sheer cliffs on one side and churning white water on the other.
Helicopter rescue efforts collapsed quickly. Dhawa Gyalzen Lama, the Rastriya Swatantra Party president for Chumanubri, and Rural Municipality Chairman Nima Lama tried to secure flight permission, but bad weather killed that option. Local youths spent days throwing biscuits across the gap to keep Seti alive. The failure of air support forced a pivot to the water: Animal Nepal contacted Royal Beach Camp in Dhading, which dispatched the two professional kayakers.
Silwal and Thapaliya braved the swollen current despite persistent drizzle. They reached the ledge, placed Seti into the kayak, and ferried it back to the bank. Chairman Lama waited on the opposite shore, greeting the team with traditional khadas. He draped one around Seti’s neck, a ceremonial welcome that blurred the line between wildlife rescue and community ritual.
Seti now belongs to Dayaram Karki, who watched the rescue unfold from a distance. The incident highlights the precarious isolation of communities in the Gorkha district during monsoon surges. With the river levels stabilizing, local veterinary officials are monitoring Seti’s health to ensure it recovers from the malnutrition and stress of the three-week ordeal.