KRISHNAGIRI: A 15-year-old tusker and a calf fell into an open well on a private property at Gundalam village in Jawalagiri forest range in the wee hours of Wednesday. Fortunately, both elephants were rescued safely by the forest department a few hours later.
The mishap happened as the forest department staff were driving away elephants from one forest range to another. The elephants fell into a 15-foot-deep well with 10-feet of water.
Forest department officials said, “A herd of 27 elephants were being driven away by the Denkanikottai forest range staff from Noganur Reserved Forest in the Denkanikottai forest range to the Jawalagiri forest range. Around 2 am, the herd panicked as the villagers shouted at them. In the bustle, the tusker and a one-year-old male elephant fell into the well on the agricultural land of farmer C Somanayaka of Gundalam village.”
Upon receiving information, Jawalagiri forest ranger K Arivazhagan and ACF M Raja Mariappan rushed to the spot. Both elephants came out of the well through ramps made by earth movers on one side of the well.
As the rescue was underway, the herd, including the mother of the calf, was stationed in the vicinity.
“Around 4 am, both elephants were rescued, and they joined the herd. The elephants are in the Jawalagiri Reserved Forest. They are expected to enter the Karnataka state jurisdiction on Wednesday night,” officials explained.
A forest department official told TNIE, “While elephants are being driven away, people should not chase the elephants and should not go near them to capture pictures.”