RANCHI: An elephant and its calf fell into a 25-feet deep well while crossing farmland at Hesapoda village in Parsadih forest under Gola police station in Ramgarh on Thursday. After being informed about the incident, forest officials rushed to the spot, and a rescue operation was launched.
According to forest officials, both the mother elephant and its calf are safe, and efforts are underway to rescue them.
“A rescue operation is being planned using a JCB machine and other equipment,” said one of the forest officials.
They have appealed to villagers to maintain a distance from the spot, avoid crowding, and cooperate with the forest officials during the rescue.
Forest officers said the elephants fell into the well during the night. Villagers informed them on Thursday morning, and the rescue team was dispatched immediately.
A herd of 42 wild elephants has been roaming the area for the past week.
“The herd has now moved towards the Bokaro forest range. We suspect the elephant and its calf were part of the herd and fell into the well while moving to Bokaro,” said Ramgarh DFO. The well is in an open area without any protective barrier.
Since the well is covered with bushes, it was not visible to the elephants.
Villagers reported that the well, dug under the MNREGA scheme on the land of Dinaram Manjhi, is approximately 25 feet deep. Dense bushes around it may have caused the elephants to fall in without noticing it.
Both elephants survived, possibly due to the shallow water in the well. However, because of the depth, they are unable to get out on their own.
The Forest Department has appealed to villagers to maintain a safe distance, cooperate in the rescue efforts, and avoid crowding.