Nagpur: A leopard trapped in a 25-feet-deep well was saved from drowning in Navalewadi village in Pune district on Tuesday. Wildlife SOS assisted the state forest department in the successful rescue and release of the big cat.
Villagers were startled on hearing the roars echoing from deep within an open well on Tuesday. It turned out that a leopard was struggling to stay afloat in the waist-deep water and the effort had seemingly left it exhausted.
The villagers immediately alerted the forest department. A four-member rescue team operating out of Wildlife SOS running leopard rescue centre in Junnar was also dispatched to assist the forest officers.
In the meantime, a group of villagers trained by Wildlife SOS and the forest department in conflict mitigation and rescue operations lowered a wooden ladder into the well so that the leopard could hold onto it for temporary support.
Once the rescue team arrived at the scene, a trap cage was lowered into the well with its door angled towards the leopard. The big cat jumped into the cage and was gradually lifted.
The animal was taken to the Manikdoh leopard rescue centre for a medical examination. Dr Nikhil Bangar, wildlife veterinary officer, Wildlife SOS, said, “The leopard is a female, estimated to be two-year-old. She had sustained minor cuts and bruises from the fall. After a few hours under observation, the leopard was released back into the wild.”
Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder & CEO, Wildlife SOS, said, “Despite years of experience on our hand, our rescuers always take into consideration the possible risks and challenges while conducting such rescue operations. Open wells are a major threat to wildlife as most often animals end up drowning or succumbing due to starvation and injuries.
Satyanarayan further said that Wildlife SOS conducts many awareness workshops to educate villagers on the threats to wildlife, and on a positive note, “these volunteering workshops have achieved great success”. “We are grateful to the villagers and forest officers for making this rescue a success,” he said.
Otur RFO Yogesh Ghodake said, “The animals trapped in such dangerous situations are already much stressed, so ensuring their safety and comfort is our priority. Open wells are a common threat to wildlife around villages. Our teams are on constant vigil to provide any assistance when it comes to rescuing animals in distress.”