Elephant rescued from well in Kothamangalam, Rs one lakh to be given to  landowner 

KOCHI: An elephant that fell into a well in a residential area has been rescued. The incident happened at Kothamangalam in Ernakulam. The elephant fell into the well of Varghese of Kottapadi Vadakkumbhagam. The incident happened last night. The elephant was taken out this afternoon after long rescue operations after chipping the side of the well. The elephant then entered the forests. The elephant sustained minor injuries.

The elephant that fell into the well is 10 years. The locals saw the elephant inside the well this morning. Following this, the locals protested under the leadership of MLA Antony John, saying that the elephant will not be released without resolving the wildlife conflict. The protest ended when the collector reached the spot. Following the protest, the rescue mission to dig a well and bring the elephant ashore was suspended.

District Collector G Priyanka informed that the DFO will be tasked with providing a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the owner of the well. A decision will be taken on solar fencing. The collector assured that all steps will be taken to take the work forward for that. The rescue mission resumed at 11 am.