Hours of uncertainty ends; Wild elephant rescued from well

MALAPPURAM: After hours of uncertainty, the wild elephant that had fallen into a well in Urangattiri in Malappuram was finally rescued. The elephant climbed out of the well at around 10 p.m. after being trapped for nearly 20 hours. Under the leadership of forest department officials, a section of the well was broken down to help the elephant climb out and return to the forest—a mission that eventually succeeded after hours of effort.

One side of the well was levelled using a JCB to facilitate the rescue. Despite several attempts to climb out, the elephant initially failed to lift its hind legs and repeatedly fell back into the well. Finally, an effort made later in the night proved successful. The elephant, showing no signs of aggression, walked directly into a nearby rubber plantation. Forest department officials stated that the elephant appeared exhausted. Kumki elephants (trained elephants) will be brought in tomorrow to guide the herd of wild elephants back into the forest.