An elephant was rescued after it fell into a 15 metre-deep well in India’s Dharmapuri district and was stuck for 12 hours on Thursday, November 19.
The Indian Forest Service responded to a call from residents. ‘It was a deep and narrow well,’ a spokesperson called Rajkumar said according to CNN. The well was unfenced and covered with branches.
Two other elephants have also fallen into wells in the area in the last year. Elephants and human conflict is increasing in rural villages in India as a result of habitat loss.
Authorities pumped the water out of the well and dropped banana leaves for the 25-year-old bull to eat. The animal was then sedated and lifted by its feet with a crane.
‘Eventually, we sedated the animal with the help of doctors and used a crane to lift it out of the well. It was found to be healthy and active when we monitored it for three hours after the rescue,’ Rajkumar added.
The elephant was unharmed and will be released in the nearby Hosur forest area.
Take a look at the 12-hour rescue operation:
Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Unrelated
