Leopard rescued from well in Sankheda village

Vadodara: A leopard was rescued from a 70 feet deep well in Nandpur village of Sankheda taluka in Chhota Udepur on Saturday evening. The animal, after the rescue, was released in the forests of Jambughoda.

According to forest officials, the leopard had fallen into the well which did not have walls in the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. On Saturday morning when the locals saw the leopard in the well, news quickly spread in Nandpur and neighbouring village. The animal generated lot of interests among villagers who gathered near the pond in large numbers. Meanwhile, deputy conservator of forests (DCF) in Vadodara was also informed about the incident.

However, by the time the rescue team could reach Sankheda from Vadodara, locals tried to get the leopard out of danger. Sources said the villagers lowered a cot tied to a rope in the well so that the leopard can at least sit on it until the forest team reached there with a cage.

"Once we got the leopard out of the well, we took it to a veterinary doctor in Sankheda for check-up," said Kartik Maharaja, DCF, Vadodara.

After the doctors told the forest department team that the leopard did not have any injuries and was safe, the forest department released it in the forests of Jambughoda in Panchmahal.