Villagers found a tusker fallen in a slush-filled well, unable to get out. They alerted forest officials, who arrived with equipment to rescue it.
In a nearly five-hour operation, forest officials with the help of villagers succeeded in pulling the animal out without any harm to it. Once free, the jumbo made its way back into the forest.
#WATCH Odisha: Forest officials & locals rescue an elephant which had fallen into a well, near Birtula village of Sundargarh district. (24.10.19) pic.twitter.com/Z0w2WMSQY4
— ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2019
A min of 75-80 people were neded to extract the adult elephant weighing about five tons out of the well. and lift it to safety.
Thus this scene of lifting the elephant from the well,setting it free at Sundergarh today.Thanks to the local support, though they knew that it can be dangerous once de elephant is free. pic.twitter.com/3cb3KJJNQB
— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) October 24, 2019
According to some villagers, a herd of 18 pachyderms had strayed into the village in search of food, late on Thursday (24 October) night, as the elephants made their way back into the forest one of the members of the herd fell into the mud-filled well and got trapped there.
Incidents, when elephants cross over into human habitats, are not uncommon in India, as their natural territories have been shrinking due to human encroachment. This is particularly the case in 12 states with the highest populations of elephants. India has an elephant population of an estimated 30,000, as per the last census carried out in 2017.
